The Chinese Embassy in the US reiterated Beijing‘s promise on Wednesday to “fight till the end” in response to US President Donald Trump slapping 20% tariffs on Beijing’s products.
Trump doubled the 10% tariff he imposed on China last month following a lengthy speech in Congress on Tuesday, which he said could cause “a little disturbance”.
“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” the Chinese Embassy said on X, quoting the country’s foreign ministry.
Beijing has retaliated with levies of up to 15% on a wide range of key US farm products, including chicken, pork, soy and beef.
It has also placed 10 more US companies on its reliable entity list, which bars them from engaging in China-related import or export activities and making new investments in the US.
“Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China,” a spokesperson for the foreign ministry asserted.
China’s tariffs will take effect next Monday, whilst Trump’s levy increase took hold as of Tuesday.
Beijing also hit back against Trump’s longstanding claim that China’s involvement in the fentanyl crisis was the reason for the tariff hike.
The US has accused Chinese corporations of supplying groups involved in the creation of the powerful drug responsible for the most opioid overdose deaths in the US.
Beijing responded by saying that the fentanyl crisis was a “flimsy excuse to raise US tariffs on Chinese imports.”
The US was responsible for the crisis inside its borders, China’s foreign ministry said, adding that it had taken “robust steps” to assist Washington in dealing with the issue.
“They’ve been punishing us for helping them,” Beijing said.
On Tuesday, Trump also brought Canada and Mexico — two of the US’ biggest trading partners alongside China — into a trade war by imposing a 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports shortly after midnight.
“You have to bear with me again and this will be even better,” The US president told Congress.
Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have announced their countries will respond in kind.
SOURCE: EURONEWS
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