China has warned countries against striking trade deals with the U.S. at its expense to secure relief from President Donald Trump’s tariffs, threatening retaliation against those that do.
As the trade war between the world’s two largest economies escalates, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce promised to retaliate against any country that reaches an agreement with the U.S. that limits its trade with China. The U.S. tariffs against other countries are economic bullying, the ministry said in a statement attributed to an unnamed spokesperson, translated by the Associated Press.
“China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests,” the Chinese government said Monday.
“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.”
The statement came in response to media reports that the Trump administration planned to pressure nations seeking tariff reductions as a negotiating tactic to encourage them to curb trade with China.
“Appeasement cannot bring peace, and compromise cannot win respect,” China warned.
“For one’s own temporary selfish interests, sacrificing the interests of others in exchange for so-called exemptions is like seeking the skin from a tiger. It will ultimately only fail on both ends and harm others without benefiting themselves.”
The move by China comes after Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent, prompting Beijing to slap retaliatory duties of 125 percent on American-made goods.
“The United States has abused tariffs on all trading partners under the banner of so-called ‘equivalence’, while also forcing all parties to start so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ negotiations with them,” the Chinese ministry statement continued.
China has said it’s open to talks with Washington, but no meetings have been announced.
The warning from China comes as Vice President JD Vance met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with both welcoming “significant progress” in the negotiations for a U.S.-India Bilateral Trade Agreement.
They formally announced the finalization of the terms of reference for the negotiations, laying down a roadmap for further discussions about shared economic priorities, according to Vance’s office.
Also on Monday, major retailers met with the president to discuss the impact of broad-based tariffs on their businesses, a White House official told Reuters.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed an earlier Bloomberg report stating that the meeting at the White House will include representatives from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's and Target.
Large U.S. retailers, particularly Walmart and Target, import a significant percentage of their goods from overseas, and the tariffs are expected to increase the cost of consumer goods for Americans in the coming months.
Trump’s chaotic rollout and pause in the implementation of tariffs on U.S. trading partners have spooked exporters, panicked importers, and stalled shipments, while threatening to drag down the global economy.
With reporting from wire services
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