China Doubles Down On Fighting Trade War ‘To The End,’ Says It Will Not Respond To ‘Threats’

The Chinese government said on Thursday that the communist country would not respond to “pressure, threats, and blackmail” and remains ready to fight a trade war “to the end” after President Donald Trump jacked up the tariff on China to 125%.

Trump remained hopeful on Wednesday that China would agree to negotiate a trade deal with the United States, telling reporters that China “wants to make a deal,” but “they’re proud people.” The Chinese Ministry of Commerce responded to Trump’s increased tariff, posting on social media, “While #China remains open to #talks, any talks must be based on mutual respect and conducted on equal footing.”

“If the #US is bent on waging a trade war, China will #fight to the end,” the Ministry of Commerce added. “Pressure, threats, and blackmail are not the right way to deal with China. We hope that the two countries will meet each other halfway and work towards resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, guided by the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”

While announcing he was dropping tariffs on most countries to 10% for 90 days, Trump hit Chinese goods with a higher tax, citing a “lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets.” The increased tariff on China was in response to Chinese leaders retaliating against the tariffs Trump previously imposed. China hit back at the United States with an 84% tariff last week, accusing the Trump administration of attacking its “sovereignty, security and development interests.”

As the president rolled out his tariffs on nearly every country in the world last week, he warned against retaliation as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged world leaders to come to the negotiating table. In a post on X Wednesday afternoon, the White House again stated, “DO NOT RETALIATE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED.”

DO NOT RETALIATE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 9, 2025

In a press conference outside the White House after Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Bessent said the move was Trump’s “strategy all along.”

“You might even say that he goaded China into a bad position,” Bessent added. “They responded, they have shown themselves to the world to be the bad actors.”

The more than 75 countries that the White House says are preparing to open trade negotiations with the United States were nations that did not retaliate “in any way, shape, or form against the United States,” according to Trump. But even the European Union, which voted earlier on Wednesday to retaliate with tariffs against the United States, benefited from Trump’s “90-day pause.” The E.U. then said on Thursday that the bloc would also place a 90-day pause on retaliatory tariffs and is open to negotiations with the Trump administration.