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By Micah McCartney
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China has reiterated its readiness to "fight till the end" after President Donald Trump's administration escalated its trade war with the country, the U.S.'s third-largest trade partner.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House with a written request for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump on Tuesday doubled the tariff imposed on China last month to 20 percent from 10 percent. As justification, the president cited continuing shipments to North America of ingredients used to produce the deadly opioid fentanyl.
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In an extraordinary step, the White House targeted Canada and Mexico, the U.S.' largest and second-largest trade partners, with blanket 25-percent tariffs, excluding a lower 10-percent tax on Canadian energy. He accused both neighbors of "failing to adequately address the crisis."
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What To Know
China has rejected the U.S.' claim of inaction, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently suggested looked like "a deliberate thing." Beijing insists it has stepped up its crackdown on fentanyl precursor production since the 2023 summit between then President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. China has made clear its opposition more than once," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Tuesday, responding to the tariff hike. The U.S., "not anyone else," is to blame for the drug crisis within its own borders, he added.
Lin warned that "bullying" is the wrong approach to take toward China.
"If the U.S. has other agendas in mind and 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."
Asked by a reporter on Wednesday to clarify what he meant by war, Lin again stressed Beijing stands ready to counter any "agendas" from Washington. He urged the U.S. to return to "the right track of dialogue and cooperation."
A tariff is essentially a tax on foreign goods paid for by importers and typically passed on to consumers through higher prices.
China's strong rhetoric comes as the two powers remain locked in a competition that spans cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and military and diplomatic influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
What People Are Saying
Howard Lutnick, U.S. secretary of commerce, told CNBC: "Let's differentiate between today's tariffs, which are about saving American lives. China makes the opioid products, and then Mexico and Canada feed them into America—and that's got to end. They've done a nice job on the border, but they haven't stopped the flow of fentanyl.
"And then if you want to talk about trade policy, that starts April 2. And that's a very, very clear reset that these countries have used us and abused us, and that is going to change."
What's Next
Trump's tariffs have roiled global markets and come as China grapples with a number of economic headwinds. Additional stimulus measures are expected to emerge from the country's rubber-stamp parliament's annual meeting, taking place this week.
The tariffs are also expected to drive up the costs of a range of products in the U.S., including groceries.
China has responded with tit-for-tat tariff increases of between 10 and 15 percent on American agricultural and food products, set to take effect March 10.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation would retaliate with levies on more than $100 billion of American exports. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also pledged to respond, saying she would unveil the list of targeted goods on Sunday.
The White House granted a last-minute, monthlong grace period after previously threatening tariffs in early February after both countries committed additional resources toward border security.
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