China’s Foreign Ministry has issued a strong warning, stating that no one wins in a trade war, following the United States’ recent decision to impose a 10% additional tariff on imports from China.
In a statement released on Sunday, a spokesperson for the ministry expressed firm opposition to the U.S. move, declaring that China will take necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.
“The unilateral tariff hikes by the U.S. severely violate World Trade Organization rules,” the spokesperson said. “This move cannot solve the U.S.’s domestic problems and does not benefit either side, let alone the world.”
The spokesperson highlighted that China has been one of the toughest nations on counternarcotics, both in policy and implementation, noting that fentanyl abuse is a significant issue within the U.S.
“In the spirit of humanity and goodwill, China has supported the U.S. in addressing this issue,” the official stated. “At the U.S.’s request, China announced in 2019 the decision to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a class. We were the first country in the world to do so.”
China urged the U.S. to address its own fentanyl challenges objectively and rationally, rather than threatening other countries with arbitrary tariff hikes. The spokesperson stressed that additional tariffs are unhelpful and are likely to harm counternarcotics cooperation between the two nations in the future.
“We call on the U.S. to correct its wrongdoings, maintain the hard-won positive momentum in counternarcotics cooperation, and promote steady, sound, and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations,” the spokesperson added.
