Beijing [China], March 5 : China said that the US is using fentanyl as a "flimsy excuse" to raise tariffs on Chinese imports and "if war is what the US wants," be it tariff or trade war, Beijing is ready to "fight till the end."
The statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian came as a reaction to the question posed by the New York Times on Tuesday, asking for reactions to the further increase of tariffs to 10 per cent by the US on most goods from China.
In his remarks, he said, "The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise US tariffs on Chinese imports. Our countermeasures to defend our rights and interests are fully legitimate and necessary."
He further added that it is America and not anyone else responsible for the Fentanyl crisis in the country.
Lin Jian said, "In the spirit of humanity and goodwill towards the American people, we have taken robust steps to assist the US in dealing with the issue. Instead of recognizing our efforts, the US has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes. They've been PUNISHING us for helping them. This is not going to solve the U.S.'s problem and will undermine our counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation."
The Chinese spokesperson further said, "Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating. If the US truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals."
He concluded his remarks stating, "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 remarks by the Chinese spokesperson comes after the Trump administration doubled the tariff on all Chinese imports to 20 per cent from 10 per cent, as per a report by CNN.
China retaliated on Tuesday by announcing 15 per cent tariffs on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton imports from the US, according to a statement from the State Council Tariff Commission. Additionally, a 10 per cent tariff on "sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products," was also imposed, it said.
Separately, China's Ministry of Commerce said it added 15 American companies, including drone maker Skydio, to its export control list, which would bar Chinese companies from exporting dual-use equipment to them, as per CNN.
China's retaliatory tariffs followed a "restrained, targeted approach aimed at causing pain to those industries that matter the most to the supporters of the Trump administration," said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, head of the China Center for the Conference Board.
He noted China's tariffs give it room for negotiations to potentially avoid even more damaging tariffs down the road.
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