‘Tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war’ — China says it’s ready to fight U.S. until the end

China mentioned it was ready to fight “any type of war” with the U.S., as President Donald Trump ratchets up financial and political stress on the nation.

“If war is what the U.S. needs, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight until the end,” Chinese language Embassy in the U.S. mentioned in a publish on X on Wednesday, signaling an more and more aggressive stance towards the U.S.

The remarks got here as Trump’s further 10% tariffs on imports from China took impact Tuesday, taking the cumulative tariffs imposed in nearly a month to 20%.

“If the U.S. has other agenda in thoughts and if harming China’s pursuits is what the U.S. needs, we’re ready to fight until the end. We urge the U.S. to cease being domineering and return to the proper observe of dialogue and cooperation at an early date,” a Chinese language overseas ministry spokesperson mentioned Wednesday.

In a swift retaliation to U.S. duties, Beijing introduced Tuesday further tariffs as excessive as 15% on sure U.S. items, ranging from March 10 and a sequence of new export restrictions for designated U.S. entities.

Answering a query on the Chinese language embassy’s remarks U.S. Secretary of Protection Peter Hegseth mentioned in an interview with Fox Information Wednesday that whereas the U.S. was not actively searching for battle with China, the nation is “ready.”

“We reside in a harmful world with highly effective, ascendant international locations with very completely different ideology,” he added, “If we wish to deter war with the Chinese language or others, now we have to be sturdy.”

Beijing’s tariff motion to goal U.S. agricultural exports displays an try to set off political stress on Trump from farmers, a key Republican constituency, Gabriel Wildau, managing director of Teneo mentioned in a be aware.

Agricultural merchandise are the largest U.S. exports to China, with soybeans — which Beijing hit with new duties of 10% — being topping the listing. Throughout the final U.S.-China trade war, Chinese language tariffs spurred home importers to shift purchases of soybeans to Brazil and Argentina.

With U.S. tariffs threatening to crimp China’s exports, a uncommon shiny spot in an in any other case slowing financial system, Beijing has signaled its willingness to use financial and monetary stimulus to mitigate their affect this 12 months.

Trump introduced the two rounds of China tariffs in response to the Asian nation’s alleged function in the fentanyl trade. The addictive drug, precursors to that are largely produced in China and Mexico, has led to tens of hundreds of overdose deaths every year in the U.S.

China has referred to as the U.S. fentanyl-related clarification for imposing tariffs a “flimsy excuse.”

After the preliminary spherical of new U.S. tariffs in February, China’s retaliatory measures included elevating duties on sure U.S. vitality imports and placing two U.S. firms on an unreliable entities listing that would prohibit their skill to do enterprise in the Asian nation.

China’s relationship with the U.S. is sure to see disagreements, however Beijing is not going to settle for stress or threats, Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th Nationwide Folks’s Congress, informed reporters Tuesday morning.

China’s largest political assembly of this 12 months kicked off on Tuesday in Beijing, the place the authorities set the key financial targets for 2025 and can proceed to unveil their financial blueprints for the 12 months. The occasion is scheduled to conclude on March 11.

Whereas it stays a base-case situation that Washington and Beijing may attain an settlement to roll again some tariffs after a sequence of negotiations, Wildau cautioned that dangers for a “broad and sturdy decoupling of the two economies” have been rising.

China mentioned in its authorities work report on Wednesday that it could increase protection spending by 7.2% this 12 months to “safeguard” its nationwide safety.

— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng, Hui Jie Lim contributed to the report.