In a bold move on Tuesday, President Donald Trump ramped up tariffs on Chinese imports, doubling them from 10% to 20%, while simultaneously slapping 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. China didn’t hesitate to fire back, with its government declaring it is “ready” for “any … type of war” and prepared to “fight till the end” in response to the escalating trade conflict.
Speaking to The New York Times, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian dismissed Trump’s claim that the tariffs were a response to China’s insufficient efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking into the United States. Lin described it as “a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports,” pointing the finger squarely at the U.S. for its own drug crisis. “The U.S., not anyone else, is responsible for the fentanyl crisis inside the U.S. In the spirit of humanity and goodwill towards the American people, we have taken robust steps to assist the U.S. in dealing with the issue.”
Lin went on to suggest that if the U.S. genuinely wanted to tackle the fentanyl problem, it should engage China in a spirit of fairness. “If the U.S. truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit to address each other’s concerns,” he said.
But his tone shifted to a stark warning as he addressed the tariffs directly: “If the U.S. has other agenda 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.”
Lin urged the U.S. to abandon its aggressive stance and embrace dialogue, saying, “We urge the U.S. to stop being domineering and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation at an early date.”
The United States Isn’t Backing Down
On Wednesday morning, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appeared on Fox & Friends to affirm America’s readiness for any potential clash with China. “Those who long for peace must prepare for war,” Hegseth declared, emphasizing the nation’s military buildup. “That’s why we’re rebuilding our military. That’s why we’re re-establishing deterrence in the warrior ethos. We live in a dangerous world with powerful, ascendant countries with very different ideology.”
China didn’t limit its retaliation to words. The communist government hit back by imposing tariffs on U.S. food imports and cutting off sales to 15 American companies, according to The New York Times. Meanwhile, Trump has framed his tariff strategy as a tool to pressure not just China but also Canada and Mexico into bolstering border security and cracking down on drug trafficking.
Speaking to reporters at the White House earlier this week, he said, “And just so you understand, vast amounts of fentanyl have poured into our country from Mexico, and as you know, also from China, where it goes to Mexico and goes to Canada.”
During his Tuesday night address to Congress, Trump doubled down on his approach, arguing that tariffs are a long-overdue response to global trade imbalances. “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades,” he told lawmakers.
“And now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries. On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada — have you heard of them? And countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them. It’s very unfair.”
The latest salvo in this economic standoff signals a deepening rift between the U.S. and China, with both sides digging in for what could be a prolonged and bruising battle—whether fought with tariffs or something more.
The Fairview Gazette will provide our readers with any updates regarding China and the tariffs imposed on them.
