China threatened on Monday to take “countermeasures” against countries that agree to trade deals with the United States “at the expense of China’s interests.”
The country’s warning to nations around the globe comes as the Trump administration continues negotiations on trade and tariffs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India — one of China’s biggest economic adversaries — is set to meet with Vice President JD Vance this week in New Delhi, where the two are expected to discuss a bilateral trade deal.
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Monday that the United States “has abused tariffs on all its trading partners under the banner of so-called ‘reciprocity,’ while at the same time forcing all parties to start so-called ‘reciprocal tariff negotiations’ with it.”
“It should be pointed out in particular that China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests,” the Ministry of Commerce stated. “If this happens, China will never accept it and will resolutely take countermeasures in a reciprocal manner. China is determined and capable of safeguarding its own rights and interests.”
“Appeasement cannot bring peace, and compromise cannot be respected,” the communist government added.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump froze tariffs for most countries at 10% for 90 days as many trading partners showed a willingness to come to the negotiating table. Trump’s tariff on Chinese goods, however, was increased to 145% as the United States and China traded retaliatory moves. Currently, China has imposed a 125% tariff on U.S. imports.
According to the White House, around 130 countries are lining up to meet with administration officials and hash out new deals, and last week, President Trump joined some of his top trade advisers during a meeting with Japanese leaders in Washington, D.C. Trump said on Sunday that “many World Leaders and Business Executives have come to me asking for relief from Tariffs.”
“It’s good to see that the World knows we are serious, because WE ARE! They must right the wrongs of decades of abuse, but it won’t be easy for them,” he added. “We must rebuild the Wealth of our Great Country, and create true RECIPROCITY. But for those who want the easiest path: Come to America, and build in America!”
China, however, continues to push back against the Trump administration’s tariffs, vowing to fight the trade war against the United States “to the end.”
China is also seeking to strengthen its ties to other nations that have been hit by Trump’s tariffs. In the past few weeks, Chinese President Xi Jinping has courted Vietnam and Malaysia, urging them to defend “an open and cooperative international environment,” The New York Times reported. Chinese officials have also reached out to Japan, South Korea, and the European Union as the trade war intensifies.
