BEIJING — China’s government issued a strong warning on Monday, cautioning countries against negotiating trade agreements with the United States that could undermine Chinese interests.
Following President Donald Trump’s imposition of wide-ranging tariffs on almost all of the U.S.’s trading partners as of April 2, nations like Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have started discussions with Washington. Although these import duties were initially paused due to market instability, tariffs on Chinese goods were substantially increased.
China’s Commerce Ministry expressed firm opposition to any agreements that come at the expense of its interests. A ministry statement declared, “China will never accept such deals and will ensure to take reciprocal countermeasures. We are resolute and capable of upholding our rights and interests.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently suggested that those negotiating with the U.S. should collaborate with Washington to jointly engage with China.
The ministry’s unsigned statement criticized U.S. tariffs on other nations as acts of economic bullying, arguing, “Appeasement does not lead to peace, nor does compromise earn respect.” It continued by asserting that sacrificing another’s interests for personal gains could lead to mutual losses, using the metaphor of “seeking the skin from a tiger.” Such strategies, claimed the statement, ultimately fail and cause more harm than good.
While China remains open to discussions with Washington, no meetings have been arranged at present.
Trump has applied the heftiest tariffs on Chinese products, amounting to a cumulative 145% on imports from China. In retaliation, Beijing has imposed its own tariffs of 125% on American imports.
These tariff hikes have unsettled exporters and disrupted shipping operations, potentially slowing down the global economy.