China has accused the United States of using the fentanyl crisis as a “flimsy excuse” to justify increasing tariffs on Chinese imports, warning that Beijing is prepared to “fight till the end” in any trade conflict.
The remarks were made by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian in response to a question from a news outlet on Tuesday regarding the US decision to raise tariffs to 10 per cent on most Chinese goods.
“The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise US tariffs on Chinese imports. Our countermeasures to defend our rights and interests are fully legitimate and necessary,” Lin said.
He asserted that the US, rather than China, is responsible for the fentanyl crisis and criticised Washington for shifting blame.
“In the spirit of humanity and goodwill towards the American people, we have taken robust steps to assist the US in dealing with the issue. Instead of recognizing our efforts, the US has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes. They’ve been punishing us for helping them. This is not going to solve the US’s problem and will undermine our counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation,” he said.
Lin further dismissed the effectiveness of US pressure tactics, stating, “Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating. If the US truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals.”
Concluding his remarks, Lin issued a warning, stating, “If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”
The comments followed the US administration’s decision to double tariffs on all Chinese imports to 20 per cent from 10 per cent, according to a US-based media outlet.
In response, China announced 15 per cent tariffs on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton imports from the US, as stated by the State Council Tariff Commission. Additionally, a 10 per cent tariff was imposed on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
Separately, China’s Ministry of Commerce placed 15 American companies, including drone manufacturer Skydio, on its export control list. This move restricts Chinese companies from exporting dual-use equipment to these firms.
Alfredo Montufar-Helu, head of the China Center for the Conference Board, noted that China’s retaliatory tariffs were part of a “restrained, targeted approach aimed at causing pain to those industries that matter the most to the supporters of the Trump administration.”
He suggested that this strategy leaves room for potential negotiations to prevent further economic escalation.
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