CHINA REBUFFS TRUMP’S TARIFF THREAT, VOWS TO ‘FIGHT TILL END’

Tue 08 April 2025:

On Tuesday, China dismissed US President Donald Trump’s latest proposal to slap an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods, with state-run Xinhua reporting that the nation “will fight to the end.”

Beijing’s Commerce Ministry declared its strong opposition to Washington’s tariff hikes and promised retaliatory actions to protect its interests.

“China will fight till the end if the U.S. side is bent on going down the wrong path,” the ministry said, adding that the US tariff escalation threat against China compounds its mistake and further exposes its nature of “blackmail,” which China will never accept.

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“The US so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ against China are groundless and a typical practice of unilateral bullying,” it said, arguing that China’s countermeasures adopted were legitimate actions aimed at protecting its sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as maintaining a normal international trade order.

Trump on Monday threatened to impose additional 50% tariffs on China on top of the imposed 34% “reciprocal” tariffs announced last week, if Beijing’s decision to match the 34% duties on US imports was not reversed.

Besides the reciprocal tariffs, the US president already put in place a 20% levy on Chinese goods.

Trump has announced sweeping tariffs, ranging from 10% to 50%, on several countries, roiling global markets.

Trump’s opposition to China centers on economic and security concerns. Economically, he’s focused on the massive U.S.-China trade deficit—hundreds of billions annually—claiming it costs American jobs, especially in manufacturing.

He accuses China of unfair trade practices like intellectual property theft, currency manipulation, and subsidizing its industries, which he says disadvantages U.S. workers and companies. His “America First” agenda aims to bring jobs back through tariffs, like the 50% hike threatened in April 2025, pressuring China to change its ways or lose market access.
On security, Trump sees China as a growing threat. He’s targeted its military buildup and reliance on Chinese imports for critical materials, like rare earths used in defense tech. He’s also pushed China to curb fentanyl precursor exports, linking it to the U.S. opioid crisis.

His tariffs and trade war escalation—like the recent moves reported by Xinhua—are tools to reduce U.S. dependence on China and counter its global influence, all while rallying his base around protecting American interests. That’s the gist—economics, security, and a bit of political flexing.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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