China will fight tariffs to the end: Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson

China vowed to take measures to safeguard its rights and interests, just before U.S. President Donald Trump's 104 per cent duties on Chinese imports kicked in on Apr. 9.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular news conference on Tuesday: "The Chinese people do not provoke trouble but we are not afraid of it."

"Resorting to threats and blackmail is not the right way to engage with China. China will take all necessary countermeasures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests," he added.

I would like to reiterate that there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war.

Protectionism offers no way out. The Chinese people do not provoke trouble but we are not afraid of it. Resorting to threats and blackmail is not the right way to engage with China.

China will take all necessary countermeasures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests.

The actions of the U.S. side have not demonstrated any genuine willingness for serious dialogue.

If the U.S. truly wishes to engage in talks, it should adopt an attitude of equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity.

If it persists in disregarding the common interest of both countries and international community and insist on escalating the trade and tariff conflict, China will, as always, fight to the end.

Calling for world to unite

Besides addressing the duties imposed on it, China has also called for the world to unite against Trump's tariffs.

According to the BBC, China's exporters are reeling from the "crippling new U.S. levies".

"Global unity can triumph over trade tyranny," an editorial in the state-run newspaper China Daily declared.

The piece, seen as a proxy of the Chinese leadership, also noted Beijing's collaborations with Japan, South Korea and other Asian economies.

Lin told reporters on Wednesday that Beijing "firmly opposes and will never accept such hegemonic and bullying practices".

A separate piece called for the European Union to work with it to "uphold free trade and multilateralism", BBC also reported.

The tariffs come at a difficult time for China owing to its sluggish economy, where domestic consumption remains weak and exports are still a growth driver.

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