 "‘If war is what US wants…’: China hits back at Trump's tariffs, vows to ‘fight till the end’")
China accused the US of using fentanyl as an excuse to increase tariffs on Chinese imports and said that if the US wants a trade or tariff war, it is ready to “fight till the end.”
The statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian came in response to a question from The New York Times on Tuesday, asking for reactions to the US increasing tariffs on most goods from China to 10 per cent.
Jian said, “The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise US tariffs on Chinese imports. Our countermeasures to defend our rights and interests are fully legitimate and necessary.”
He further stated that it is the US, not anyone else, that is responsible for the fentanyl crisis in the country.
Lin Jian said, “In the spirit of humanity and goodwill towards the American people, we have taken robust steps to assist the US in dealing with the issue. Instead of recognising our efforts, the US has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes. They’ve been punishing us for helping them. This is not going to solve the US’s problem and will undermine our counter-narcotics dialogue and cooperation.”
The Chinese spokesperson further said, “Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion, or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong target and miscalculating. If the US truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals.”
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View AllTrump doubles tariffs on China
The remarks by the Chinese spokesperson come after the Trump administration increased the tariff on all Chinese imports to 20 per cent from 10 per cent, CNN reported.
Retaliation from China, a tariff war
China retaliated by announcing 15 per cent tariffs on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton imports from the US, according to a statement from the State Council Tariff Commission. Additionally, a 10 per cent tariff on “sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products” was also imposed, it said.
Separately, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced it had added 15 American companies, including drone maker Skydio, to its export control list, barring Chinese companies from exporting dual-use equipment to them.
China’s retaliatory tariffs followed a “restrained, targeted approach aimed at causing pain to those industries that matter the most to the supporters of the Trump administration,” said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, head of the China Center for the Conference Board.
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