China accuses US of ‘economic bullying, unilateralism’ with tariffs

China expressed confidence in surviving the impact of the US tariffs, and urged countries to take action against America's unilateral policies.

China's foreign affairs spokesperson, Lin Jian, on Monday accused the United States of “unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying with tariffs,” and stated that their actions would seriously harm global economic recovery.

China has accused the US of "economic bullying" with tariffs (AFP)

During a press conference, Lin Jian said that the US had announced their policy of putting “America First” and imposing reciprocal tariffs in an attempt to serve their interests at the expense of other countries, especially developing nations of the Global South.

“Putting ‘America First’ over international rules harms the stability of global production and the supply chain and seriously impacts the world's economic recovery,” Lin Jian said.

She added, “The abuse of tariffs by the United States is tantamount to depriving countries, especially those in the Global South, of their right to development.”

China announces retaliatory tariffs

US President Donald Trump recently announced 34 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, apart from the existing 10 per cent tariffs declared in February and March this year, bringing the total duties levied on the country to 54 per cent.

China hit back with its own 34 per cent tariff rate on US goods as well.

The Communist Party's mouthpiece, The People's Daily, expressed confidence in China's ability to survive the high tariff rate, even as markets in Beijing and Shanghai plummeted.

"The sky won't fall. Faced with the indiscriminate punches of US taxes, we know what we are doing, and we have tools at our disposal," it said on Monday.

Chinese foreign affairs spokesperson Lin Jian echoed their statement: "Pressure and threats are not the way to deal with China. China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests."

Chinese government officials, including the vice minister of commerce, Ling Ji, met 20 American companies in a meeting over the weekend, reported Reuters.

During the meeting, which included business representatives from Tesla, GE Healthcare, and others, Ling Ji said, “The root of the tariff problem is in the US. We hope the American companies can address the problem at its root, issue reasonable statements, take concrete actions, and work together to safeguard the stability of the global supply chain."

China has also urged all countries to uphold principles of “genuine multilateralism” and come together to safeguard the values of the global trading system.