TMTPOST -- China on Monday didn’t indicate any compromise following U.S. President Donald Trump new threat of hefty tariffs.
Credit：Phoenix New Media
If the United States escalates its tariff war, China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its rights and interests, said a spokesperson for Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Tuesday in a statement on the ministry’s website.
The so-called "reciprocal tariffs" imposed by the United States on China are groundless and are a typical unilateral bullying practice, and all the countermeasures that China has taken aim to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests and maintain the normal international trade order, which is completely legitimate, the spokesperson said.
China by no means accepts the latest threat for it represents U.S.’ taking more wrong steps and revealed the blackmail nature again, the spokesperson said, warning that if the U.S. refuses to correct its course, China will fight till the end.
We have repeatedly stressed that pressuring or threatening China is not a right way to engage with us, and China will firmly defend its its legitimate rights and interests, said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in the U.S., in a statement cited by Chinese media outlet Phoenix New Media.
In the statement, Liu deemed the United States’ latest move as “typical practice of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying” as the country, in the name of “reciprocity”, is actually seeking hegemony at whatever cost of other countries’ legitimate interests to satisfy its own interests, and putting “American First” over international rules.
Liu made the remarks on the heels of Trump’s threat earlier Monday. The president posted on his social media Truth Social that Washington will impose 50% extra tariffs and cancel meeting with China if it doesn’t back off its new wave of tariffs unveiled last Friday.
Trump said in the post China issued retaliatory tariffs of 34% despite his warning that any country that retaliates against the U.S. with additional tariffs will immediately face “new and substantially higher tariffs.”
“Therefore, if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” he went on.”Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!”
In response to Trump’s announcement of up to 50% worldwide reciprocal tariff plan on Wednesday, China on Friday made good on a promise to hit back at U.S. President Donald Trump’s hefty 34% additional tariffs with a wide range of countermeasures, from the reciprocal tariffs, new export controls on rare earth, to blacklisting dozens of American companies and curbs on U.S. farm goods.
China will impose additional 34% tariffs on all products imported from the United States starting from April 10, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced in a statement on Friday. The commission noted that the existing bonded policies as well as tax reduction and exemption policies will remain unchanged, while the new additional tariffs to be imposed will not be reduced or exempted.
China on Friday imposed export control measures on certain items related to 7 types of medium and heavy rare earths. Beijing has decided to ban the export of dual-use items from China to 16 US entities, suspend the exports of poultry meat from some US firms s well as suspend the qualifications of some US firms to export certain products to China. China also launched an anti-dumping probe into US and Indian imports of medical CT tubes. DuPont was subjected to an anti-monopoly investigation by China's top market regulator.
The U.S. move to hike tariffs on all trading partners is an abuse of tariffs deprives countries, especially Global South countries, of their right to development, which gravely hurts the effort for realizing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian commented at a regular press conference on Monday.
The U.S. tariffs with differentiated rates violate the WTO principle of non-discrimination, severely disrupt the international trade order and the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, severely undermine the multilateral trading system, severely hinder global economic recovery, and will certainly be rejected by the international community, said Lin.
Lin urged the world to uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit, remain committed to true multilateralism, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism of all forms, safeguard the international order with the UN at its core, and uphold the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its center.
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