China vows retaliation against countries backing US isolation efforts

• Published On: 21 April 2025 at 19:51

China warned on Monday that it would retaliate against countries who cooperate with the US in ways that undermine Beijing's interests, as the trade war between the world's two largest economies threatens to engulf other countries.

China's warning comes after reports that the Trump administration intends to use tariff negotiations to persuade its allies to reduce trade with China.

This month, Trump halted large tariff increases on other countries for 90 days, while raising tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%.

"China strongly opposes any party striking an agreement at the expense of China's interests. If this occurs, China will not accept it and would take firm steps," according to a CNBC translation.

The ministry warned of the dangers to all countries if international trade devolved into a "law of the jungle" scenario in which might and self-interest trumped fair practices.

The statement also characterised China as dedicated to working with all parties to "defend international fairness and justice," while criticising US moves as "abusing tariffs" and indulging in "unilateral bullying."

China took a harder stance this month, imposing 125% taxes on American imports in retaliation for US duties. Beijing also restricted the sale of vital minerals and placed numerous smaller US companies on blacklists, limiting their ability to conduct business with Chinese corporations.

Analysts believe a US-China trade deal is improbable in the near future, despite Trump's statement on Thursday that he anticipates an agreement within the next three to four weeks.

Chinese President Xi Jinping went on his first overseas tour of 2025 last week, visiting Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Following his talks with the presidents of these countries, Xi issued official remarks calling for concerted efforts to combat tariffs and "unilateral bullying."

Since President Trump slapped tariffs on China during his first term, the Asian country has increased its commerce with Southeast Asia, which is now China's largest regional trading partner.

However, the United States remains China's top trading partner on a single-country basis.