China Slams Trump's Tariffs, Calls Fentanyl Crisis an "American Problem"

China had previously denounced the Trump administration's imposition of 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, which Beijing said breached international trade rules. Despite such sharp criticism, Beijing signalled it still wants to negotiate with the U.S. to avoid further economic conflict.

China to Challenge U.S. Tariffs at WTO

The Chinese ministries of finance and commerce said on Sunday that Beijing will lodge a complaint with the WTO against Trump's new tariff policy, scheduled to take effect on Tuesday. China also vowed to implement countermeasures, though it didn't spell out what those will be.

But the response avoided an immediate escalation of the trade war, in contrast to Beijing's more aggressive stance during Trump's first term. Instead, China reiterated its recent call for dialogue and cooperation.

Trump Links Tariffs to Fentanyl Crisis

On Saturday, the president ordered 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports alongside a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods, arguing that Beijing must take more effective action to halt the importation of fentanyl into the United States.

China's commerce ministry rejected this reasoning, saying the tariffs "seriously violate" international trade rules. The ministry called on the U.S. for "frank dialogue" and to work toward stronger cooperation, rather than using economic penalties.

China Pushes Back: "Fentanyl is America's Problem"

Of particular concern for Beijing was the assertion by Trump that China is to blame for America's fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl is America's problem, the Chinese foreign ministry fought back with, adding China had done a lot in anti-narcotics cooperation with the US and achieved remarkable results in controlling shipments of chemicals related to fentanyl.

The statement has been iterated by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning for weeks: "Trade wars benefit no one." Comments come in tandem with similar statements by Beijing, which also, through the WTO, challenged recent tariffs imposed by the European Union against Chinese-made electric vehicles.

With tensions between the two economic superpowers running high, all eyes will be watching to see if there is a chance that the U.S. and China will find common ground or if the trade dispute will continue to escalate.