China issued a sharp warning on Monday to countries negotiating trade agreements with the United States, urging them not to act against Chinese interests amid rising tensions triggered by President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes.
“China strongly opposes any deal made at the expense of its interests,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a strongly-worded statement.
The warning comes as governments including Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have opened talks with Washington following the U.S. decision on April 2 to impose steep import tariffs on almost all its trading partners.
Although many tariffs were temporarily suspended after market unrest, Trump raised them even further on Chinese goods, escalating tensions.
“If this happens, China will never accept it and will take firm and proportional countermeasures,” the ministry stated.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, recently encouraged allied countries to negotiate jointly with China alongside Washington, hinting at a more united Western front.
However, Beijing sees Washington’s approach as economic coercion.
“Sacrificing others’ interests for selfish temporary gains is like asking a tiger for its skin—it will fail and hurt everyone,” China warned.
Although Beijing says it is open to dialogue, no bilateral meetings with the U.S. have been announced yet.
President Trump’s tariffs total 145% on Chinese imports, to which Beijing has responded with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. The ongoing trade war is already disrupting global exports and threatening the global economy.
