China said Monday that it firmly opposes any deal between the US and its trading partners at the expense of Chinese interests amid a barrage of tariffs.
If such a situation arises, China will not accept it and will resolutely take corresponding countermeasures, a spokesperson for the Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
The remarks came in response to reports that the US is preparing to pressure other countries to limit trade ties with China in exchange for tariff exemptions, Xinhua News reported.
A fact sheet released last week by the White House suggested that Chinese exports to the US are facing tariffs of up to 245%.
The spokesperson further said that Beijing has the resolve and the capability to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
“Under the guise of so-called ‘reciprocity,’ the United States has been recently arbitrarily imposing tariffs on all its trading partners while pressuring them to engage in so-called reciprocal tariff negotiations,” the spokesperson said.
“This is essentially using the banner of ‘reciprocity’ as a pretext to pursue hegemonic politics and unilateral bullying in the field of international economy and trade.”