China warns countries against striking trade deals with US

In a statement released on Monday, 21 April, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce accused the US of using reciprocity as a pretext to impose unilateral economic pressure, calling it “unilateral bullying” that violates international norms and “economic hegemony under the cloak of fairness”. “Trying to trade away others’ interests for temporary gains is like bargaining with a tiger for its skin – it will only backfire,” the statement said.

The ministry warned that any deals made by foreign governments at the expense of would not be tolerated. “If such a situation arises, China would never accept it and would take firm countermeasures,” the spokesperson added, vowing that Beijing has both the determination and the capability to defend its rights.

The ministry warned that a return to protectionism and economic unilateralism would harm all countries, calling for joint efforts to resist US trade coercion and to uphold a fair global trading system.

Washington has imposed tariffs totalling 145 per cent on Chinese imports so far this year, bringing the effective tariff rate to about 156 per cent. According to a fact sheet released by the White House on 15 April 2025, China now faces tariffs of up to 245 per cent, once tariffs imposed before the second administration of US President Donald Trump began are included.

In response, China has taken swift countermeasures and made clear that it will not engage in discussions under unfair terms. Beijing’s new levies on US goods have risen to 125 per cent, on top of earlier tariffs.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is seeking to pressure more than 70 US trading partners to curb their economic ties with China in exchange for tariff relief – part of a broader strategy to isolate China’s economy and weaken its negotiating position ahead of possible talks with President Xi Jinping.

While senior officials from Japan and South Korea, two key trading partners of China, have recently travelled to Washington in an effort to negotiate tariff relief and mitigate the impact on their exports, high-level trade talks between China and the United States remain at a standstill, with little progress on key issues. India has indicated that negotiations over its bilateral trade deal with the US are in its final stages.