Beijing is warning the world: side with Washington on trade, and face the consequences.
In a response to reports that the Trump administration is pressing countries to curb trade with China in exchange for tariff relief, the Chinese government has vowed to retaliate against any nation that signs a broader economic deal with the United States at China’s expense.
“China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests,” said a spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry on Monday. “If such a situation occurs, China will never accept it and will resolutely take reciprocal countermeasures.”
The comments follow a Bloomberg report that the Trump administration plans to make tariff exemptions conditional on reducing trade ties with Beijing. As of now, nearly 50 countries have reportedly approached Washington to negotiate tariff terms. President Trump has made it clear that while the U.S. is open to deals, China will face the steepest levies — up to 145 percent — unless a broader agreement is reached.
Speaking from the Oval Office last week, Trump said, “Yeah, we’re talking to China… I think we’re going to make a very good deal with China.” However, Beijing has publicly denied that such talks are underway and maintains that it will “fight a trade war to the end.”
China’s retaliatory tariffs currently sit at 125 percent on U.S. goods, and while it has said it won’t raise those duties further for now, officials in Beijing made clear that future measures remain on the table if other countries join Washington’s push.
“Appeasement will not bring peace, and compromise will not be respected,” the commerce ministry warned, describing U.S. trade policy as “unilateralism and protectionism.” The statement continued with a veiled threat: “To seek one’s own temporary selfish interests at the expense of others’ interests is to seek the skin of a tiger.”
The Chinese government is also reportedly preparing to hold an informal United Nations Security Council meeting to accuse the United States of global “bullying” through the weaponization of tariffs.
China has accused Washington of using economic tools to push an agenda that risks destabilizing global development.
Meanwhile, Trump’s trade strategy continues to divide global markets, with allies weighing the benefits of U.S. cooperation against the risks of alienating Beijing.
Some countries, like Japan and Indonesia, are already adjusting trade patterns, with Tokyo considering increased U.S. soybean and rice imports and Jakarta signaling plans to cut imports from other nations in favor of American goods.
However, analysts note that many Southeast Asian economies remain heavily intertwined with China. Bo Zhengyuan of China-based Plenum Consulting said, “If countries have high reliance on China in terms of investment, industrial infrastructure, technology know-how and consumption, I don’t think they’ll be buying into U.S. demands.”
President Xi Jinping has stepped up efforts to strengthen regional ties and counter Washington’s moves, with recent visits to three Southeast Asian countries and calls for a united front against what he described as “unilateral bullying.”
Trump’s tariffs have already shaken global markets, with investors fearing the economic toll of an extended standoff between the world’s two largest economies. Still, the administration insists the strategy is working — putting pressure on China and giving America leverage in shaping a fairer trade system.
“There are no winners in trade wars,” Xi said this week in Vietnamese media. But for the Trump White House, the fight is about reclaiming economic strength — and making it clear that trading with China at America’s expense comes with a price.