Beijing is warning the U.S. it is ready to fight “a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war” after President Donald Trump doubled the tariffs already in place for Chinese imports this week.
Trump has accused China of fueling a drug crisis in the U.S., suggesting that the tariffs he’s levied on all Chinese imports should encourage Beijing to do more to address the issue.
The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. blasted the White House action as counterproductive late Tuesday.
“If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” it wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethaddressed the statement during an appearance on “Fox and Friends” Wednesday morning.
“Well, we’re prepared,” Hegseth said. “Those who long for peace must prepare for war.”
“We live in a dangerous world with powerful ascending countries with very different ideologies,” he added. “If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong.”
The embassy’s comments echoed the words of Lin Jian, the spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who accused the Trump administration of using a “flimsy excuse” to punish Beijing with tariffs.
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Last month, Trump levied 10% tariffs on all goods coming from China, citing the country’s production of chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl. The president doubled the universal tariff on Chinese imports on Tuesday.
In response, China said it will levy additional tariffs of up to 15% on U.S. farm products starting next week, and also blacklisted more American companies.
Trump also imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada this week, but issued a one-month exception for U.S. automakers, amid concerns about the impact of his trade war.