China dismissed the United States’ latest threat of steep tariffs on Thursday, stating it will not pay any attention to what it called a “tariff numbers game” if it is continued, reported Reuters citing the foreign ministry.
The firm response came after the White House announced that China could face tariffs of up to 245% due to its retaliatory actions in the ongoing trade dispute.
The statement, issued by China’s foreign ministry on Thursday, underscores Beijing’s unwillingness to engage with what it sees as escalating provocation from Washington.
Moreover, China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday that US' repeated imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese goods has devolved into little more than a "numbers game" with no real economic value, reported Global Times.
According to the ministry, these inflated tariff figures serve only to highlight the US' use of trade measures as tools of pressure and intimidation—ultimately turning Washington " into a laughingstock."
Retaliation, restrictions, & rising friction
The latest round of trade hostility follows a series of tit-for-tat measures.
China recently ordered its airlines to halt new deliveries of Boeing jets and suspend purchases of US-made aircraft components — a direct response to the United States’ earlier imposition of a 145% tariff on Chinese goods.
In addition, Beijing has restricted the export of key rare earth materials essential to global industries such as aerospace, semiconductors, and defence manufacturing.
The US, citing national security concerns, responded by significantly increasing tariff levels. According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the decision to raise tariffs to as much as 245% was prompted by what it called China’s “unfair” trade practices and export controls on strategic materials.
Despite these developments, China maintains that it is not afraid of a prolonged trade conflict. Lin reiterated Beijing’s position that the US must abandon threats and coercion if it wants to resolve the situation.
"If the US really wants to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop exerting extreme pressure, stop threatening and blackmailing, and talk to China on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit," Lin Jian said.
Trump says it’s China’s move
In Washington, the message was markedly different.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that President Donald Trump is open to a trade deal but insists the initiative must come from China. Speaking to reporters, Leavitt stressed that the US is in a position of strength.
"The ball is in China's court. China needs to make a deal with us; we don't have to make a deal with them. There's no difference between China and any other country except they are much larger, and China wants what we have... the American consumer,” she said, and added, “They need our money.”
While President Trump has at times praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, neither side has shown any willingness to de-escalate the trade war that initially started during Trump’s first term in office.
The firm response came after the White House announced that China could face tariffs of up to 245% due to its retaliatory actions in the ongoing trade dispute.
The statement, issued by China’s foreign ministry on Thursday, underscores Beijing’s unwillingness to engage with what it sees as escalating provocation from Washington.
Moreover, China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday that US' repeated imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese goods has devolved into little more than a "numbers game" with no real economic value, reported Global Times.
According to the ministry, these inflated tariff figures serve only to highlight the US' use of trade measures as tools of pressure and intimidation—ultimately turning Washington " into a laughingstock."
Retaliation, restrictions, & rising friction
The latest round of trade hostility follows a series of tit-for-tat measures.
China recently ordered its airlines to halt new deliveries of Boeing jets and suspend purchases of US-made aircraft components — a direct response to the United States’ earlier imposition of a 145% tariff on Chinese goods.
In addition, Beijing has restricted the export of key rare earth materials essential to global industries such as aerospace, semiconductors, and defence manufacturing.
The US, citing national security concerns, responded by significantly increasing tariff levels. According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the decision to raise tariffs to as much as 245% was prompted by what it called China’s “unfair” trade practices and export controls on strategic materials.
Despite these developments, China maintains that it is not afraid of a prolonged trade conflict. Lin reiterated Beijing’s position that the US must abandon threats and coercion if it wants to resolve the situation.
"If the US really wants to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop exerting extreme pressure, stop threatening and blackmailing, and talk to China on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit," Lin Jian said.
Trump says it’s China’s move
In Washington, the message was markedly different.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that President Donald Trump is open to a trade deal but insists the initiative must come from China. Speaking to reporters, Leavitt stressed that the US is in a position of strength.
"The ball is in China's court. China needs to make a deal with us; we don't have to make a deal with them. There's no difference between China and any other country except they are much larger, and China wants what we have... the American consumer,” she said, and added, “They need our money.”
While President Trump has at times praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, neither side has shown any willingness to de-escalate the trade war that initially started during Trump’s first term in office.
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