The response from China, through its embassy in the US, to Donald Trump for his decision to impose tariffs on Chinese products was high-profile.
In a post on the official account of the embassy in X this morning, he initially advised Washington that "the right thing to do would be to consult with China as equal partners" and then warned: "if the US wants war, whether it is a tariff war or a trade war or any other kind of war, we are ready to fight to the end."
In his own statement, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry described the US's invocation of the fentanyl issue to increase tariffs on Chinese products as a "humble excuse."
"Our countermeasures to defend our rights and interests are absolutely legitimate and necessary. The United States, not anyone else, is responsible for the fentanyl crisis within the United States. In the spirit of humanity and goodwill toward the American people, we have taken strong steps to assist the United States in addressing the issue," he added in his statement.
"Instead of acknowledging our efforts, the US is trying to slander and shift the blame to China and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff increases. They are punishing us for helping them. This will not solve the US problem and will undermine our dialogue and cooperation on combating drugs. Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work with us. Pressure, coercion or threats are not the right way to deal with China. Anyone who uses maximum pressure on China is choosing the 'wrong guy' and making a miscalculation," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman concluded in his statement.
Source: protothema
