China has issued a strong warning to countries looking for exemptions from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, telling them not to make deals that threaten Beijing’s interests. This is as many U.S. trade partners scramble to negotiate relief from Trump’s trade policies, which feature high “reciprocal” tariffs pending until July.
“Appeasement cannot lead to peace, and compromise will not command respect,” said a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce on Monday. The ministry was stressing that abandoning the interests of others in return for short-term gains is the same as barganing with a tiger and only ending up losing for all the parties.
While appreciating the attempts of other nations to settle their trade battles with the U.S., China encouraged such nations to get on the side of justice and fairness, being on the “right side of history.” The spokesperson indicated that any move to clinch agreements at the cost of Chinese interests would not be accepted, threatening retaliatory countermeasures if it comes to that.
This announcement comes after a Bloomberg News report that stated the Trump administration is going to urge countries that seek tariff relief to diminish their trade with China. U.S. officials are said to be discussing ways to pressure these trading partners to restrain imports of Chinese goods and charge them with duties on goods from nations closely tied to Beijing.
While Trump has declared a 90-day suspension of tit-for-tat tariffs on different nations, his government has escalated its trade war with China, increasing import duties on Chinese goods to as much as 145 percent. China has retaliated by imposing its own tariffs of 125 percent on U.S. exports.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has pointed out that more than 70 countries have signaled an interest in making trade negotiations. Japanese officials recently called on Washington to start talks to seek relief for critical exports such as cars and steel, and South Korean officials are planning to launch ministerial-level talks in the near future.
Even amid rising trade tensions with China, Trump said last week that he expects to achieve a “very good” trade agreement with Beijing.
In Monday’s statement, China’s Ministry of Commerce denounced the Trump administration for practicing “hegemonic politics” and “unilateral bullying” in the name of reciprocity. “If international trade becomes the ‘law of the jungle,’ all nations will lose,” the spokesperson cautioned, reaffirming China’s determination to enhance solidarity and coordination with other nations to counter such one-sided actions and safeguard international justice.”.
