China has issued a stark warning, declaring it is fully prepared for any “kind of war” with the United States, marking a sharp intensification in tensions as President Trump’s new tariffs officially took effect.
“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,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated late Tuesday.
The strain between the two global powers heightened significantly after Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 20%, asserting that the move would help curb the influx of fentanyl into the United States.
Jian’s remarks were echoed in a post on X by the Chinese embassy in Washington, underscoring Beijing’s stance that efforts to intimidate or coerce China into submission would not succeed. In response to the U.S. tariff hike, China imposed its own 15% tariff on American agricultural products.
“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 miscalculation,” the spokesperson emphasized.
Trump has maintained that the tariffs—set at 25% for imports from Canada and Mexico and 20% on Chinese goods—are necessary because these nations have failed to sufficiently crack down on the illegal fentanyl trade. According to Trump, pausing the tariffs would be unwarranted unless they take stronger action against the lethal drug’s distribution.
In response, China pushed back, asserting that if the U.S. is genuinely interested in addressing the fentanyl crisis, it should work with China in a manner that is based on mutual respect.
Jian further defended Beijing’s decision to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, stating that while China has been clear about its opposition to the trade restrictions, it has no choice but to act in order to protect its own economic interests.
Speaking on the matter Wednesday morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” that the U.S. is taking China’s warnings seriously and is fully prepared to prevent potential conflicts.
“Those who long for peace must prepare for war,” Hegseth remarked.
“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.”
“They’re rapidly increasing their defense spending, modern technology, they want to supplant the United States,” he added. “If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong.”
As these tensions escalate, Trump remains firm on his trade strategy, asserting that tariffs are necessary since other nations have taken advantage of the U.S. for years.
“And now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries,” Trump stated in an address to Congress.
Meanwhile, economic analysts warn that these tariffs could lead to an increase in prices for food, vehicles, and various other consumer goods.
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimates that the new tariffs will impact approximately $1.4 trillion worth of imports from Mexico, Canada, and China.
In a further escalation, Trump announced on Monday that additional tariffs on agricultural imports would take effect on April 2, targeting nations such as Japan and several European allies with what he described as “reciprocal” duties.
{Matzav.com}