BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Ministry and Commerce Ministry on Tuesday vowed to take countermeasures to safeguard rights and interests, in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent claims of escalating tariffs unless China withdrew its retaliatory tariffs against the US by April 8.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, the US president has threatened China with an extra 50 percent tariff on goods imported into the US if China does not withdraw its 34 percent counter-tariff on US products, according to CNBC.
“We will not let anyone take away the Chinese people’s legitimate right to development. We will not tolerate any attempt to harm China’s sovereignty, security and development interests. We will continue to take resolute and strong measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in response at the regular Foreign Ministry press conference on Tuesday.
Lin said that judging from its actions, the US doesn’t seem to be serious about having talks right now. “If the US truly wants to talk, it should let people see that they’re ready to treat others with equality, respect and mutual benefit. If the US decides not to care about the interests of the US itself, China and the rest of the world, and is determined to fight a tariff and trade war, China’s response will continue to the end,” Lin said.
In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, China’s Commerce Ministry said China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its rights and interests should the US escalate its tariff measures.
Citing sources or experts, Niutanqin, one of the self-media accounts, posted on Tuesday that China could take six possible measures against the US’ tariffs, including significantly increasing tariffs on US agricultural products such as soybeans and sorghum, banning US poultry imports, suspending China-US cooperation on fentanyl-related issues, imposing curbs on services trade with the US, reducing or banning the import of US films, and investigating the intellectual property benefits of US companies operating in China.
China will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests, Lin said on Tuesday, noting that the ministry does not comment on what’s been said on the internet.
While showing no intention to pause the sweeping “reciprocal tariffs,” Trump continues to intensify pressure on its trade partners including China, the EU, Japan and Canada.
“The European Union’s been very bad to us,” Trump told reporters at the White House, accusing European nations of not buying enough US goods. “They’re going to have to buy their energy from us, because they need it and they’re going to have to buy it from us. They can buy it, we can knock off $350 billion in one week,” Reuters reported, citing the US president.
On Monday evening, the European Commission proposed its first retaliatory tariffs at 25 percent on a range of US imports in response to Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, Reuters reported, citing an internal document. The tariffs on some goods will take effect on May 16 and others later in the year, on December 1, the document said, Reuters reported.
In addition, Trump wrote in another post on Truth Social on Monday that Japan has “treated the US very poorly on Trade. They don’t take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs.”
The US Department of Commerce, as part of an annual review process, plans to hike duties on Canadian lumber from 14.4 percent to 34.45 percent, CNN reported on Monday, citing published and unpublished filings in the Federal Register. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
