‘Nobody will win a commerce conflict,’ China says after Trump tariff risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Neither the US nor China would win a commerce conflict, the Chinese language Embassy in Washington stated on Monday, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to slap a further 10% tariff on all Chinese language imports when he takes workplace on Jan. 20.

“Concerning the problem of US tariffs on China, China believes that China-US financial and commerce cooperation is mutually useful in nature,” Chinese language Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu stated in an announcement.

“Nobody will win a commerce conflict or a tariff conflict,” Liu stated.

Trump stated he would impose the tariffs till China stops the circulation of unlawful medication, notably fentanyl, into the US.

Within the assertion, Liu stated China had taken steps to fight drug trafficking after an settlement was reached final 12 months between President Joe Biden and Chinese language President Xi Jinping.

“The Chinese language facet has notified the US facet of the progress made in US-related legislation enforcement operations in opposition to narcotics,” Liu stated.

“All these show that the concept of China knowingly permitting fentanyl precursors to circulation into the US runs fully counter to info and actuality,” Liu stated.

There was incremental however seen progress in co-operation over shutting down illicit visitors in chemical substances used to supply lethal fentanyl after Xi and Biden agreed to renew joint efforts final 12 months.

The US, the place fentanyl abuse has been a significant reason for loss of life, has pushed China for harder legislation enforcement, together with tackling illicit finance and clamping additional controls on the chemical substances.

In June, China’s high prosecutor urged its legislation enforcement officers to deal with combating drug trafficking, as Beijing and Washington unveiled a uncommon joint investigation into medication.

In August, days after a gathering of a joint counternarcotics working group, China stated it could tighten controls on three chemical substances important for making fentanyl.