Chinese Commerce Ministry. A view of the Chinese Commerce Ministry in Beijing, China, on March 31, 2025. VCG/VCG via AP
China said on Thursday that it will defend its "legitimate rights and interests" after the United States revealed what it called "reciprocal tariffs" targeting more than 60 countries.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment by email.
Why It Matters
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the imposition of sweeping new tariffs on all imported goods and unveiled a list of "reciprocal duties" targeting China and other countries, claiming to combat trade imbalances and restore America's manufacturing industry.
China, the world's second-largest economy, will face a 34 percent reciprocal tariff, which will kick in on April 9 and is in addition to a 20 percent tariff on the nation that is already in effect. The list claims that China charges a 67 percent tariff on U.S. products.
What To Know
During a press conference in Beijing, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, accused the U.S. of gravely violating the rules of the World Trade Organization and undermining the rules-based multilateral trading system, which China "firmly rejects."
The Chinese spokesperson stressed that Washington's unilateral tariff hikes "do no help to solving its own problem," while claiming that "more and more countries" have come to stand against America's tariff hikes and what he called "other unilateral bullying moves."
Meanwhile, an unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry urged the U.S. to immediately lift its unilateral tariffs, as well as to "properly resolve differences" with its trading partners through dialogue on an equal footing, according to the Chinese remarks.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry accused the U.S. of ignoring "the balance of interests" reached in multilateral trade negotiations over the years. It further claimed that the U.S. has long benefited a lot from international trade, while Washington ignored this fact.
"Our close partners appear to be treated similarly to our rivals, with China's reciprocal tariff rate just a tad higher than Taiwan's," said Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, in a statement to Newsweek. Taiwan will face a 32 percent tariff.
"This is difficult to understand given Taiwan's open economy and extensive manufacturing [foreign direct investment] projects in the United States," Cutler added. The government in Taiwan called the planned U.S. tariffs "deeply unreasonable" and "highly regrettable."
In March, semiconductor giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company said it is investing $100 billion into its U.S. operations, after Trump accused Taiwan of "stealing" America's chip industry and threatened to impose tariffs on semiconductor imports.
Craig Singleton, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Newsweek that Trump's tariffs have been heavily telegraphed, giving China time to brace. "Beijing won't be blindsided by today's news-but the pressure is piling up," Singleton said.
What People Are Saying
Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said: "We have emphasized more than once that trade and tariff wars have no winners. Protectionism leads nowhere. We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing, and resolve trade differences with China and other countries through consultation with equality, respect and mutual benefit."
A spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry said: "History has proven that raising tariffs will not solve the problems of the United States itself, and will not only harm the interests of the United States itself, but also endanger the global economic development and the stability of the production and supply chain."
Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said: "The reciprocal tariff rates announced today will come as a shock to our trading partners and will cause harm to the U.S. economy with higher prices, slower economic growth, and slowed down business investment."
Craig Singleton, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Newsweek : "With no high-level diplomacy and both sides [the U.S. and China] entrenched, the real risk now is escalation by default-not design."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen when China will announce retaliatory tariffs on American products, as the country's commerce ministry has vowed to "resolutely take countermeasures."
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This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 10:07 AM.