{"id":286768,"date":"2025-04-21T11:43:15","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T11:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/bargaining-with-a-tiger-for-its-skin-chinas-stark-warning-as-us-tariff-fight-escalates-times-of-india\/"},"modified":"2025-04-21T11:43:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T11:43:16","slug":"bargaining-with-a-tiger-for-its-skin-chinas-stark-warning-as-us-tariff-fight-escalates-times-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/bargaining-with-a-tiger-for-its-skin-chinas-stark-warning-as-us-tariff-fight-escalates-times-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Bargaining with a Tiger for its skin’: China\u2019s stark warning as US tariff fight escalates – Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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China has issued a sharp warning against what it sees as growing US pressure on its global trading partners, vowing to “firmly oppose and retaliate” against any moves that compromise its national interests.
The statement comes amid reports, cited by the South China Morning Post, that Washington is urging allies to scale back trade with Beijing in return for tariff exemptions \u2014 a move China likened to bargaining with a tiger for its skin.
A spokesperson for China\u2019s ministry of commerce accused Washington of using reciprocity as a justification to apply “unilateral economic pressure,” describing it as \u201cunilateral bullying\u201d that violates international norms and represents “economic hegemony<\/a> under the cloak of fairness.”
\u201cTrying to trade away others\u2019 interests for temporary gains is like bargaining with a tiger for its skin \u2013 it will only backfire,\u201d the statement read.
The ministry made it clear that any agreement by foreign governments that undermines Chinese interests would provoke a strong response.
\u201cIf such a situation arises, China would never accept it and would take firm countermeasures,\u201d the spokesperson said, adding that Beijing has both \u201cthe determination and the capability to defend its rights.\u201d
The statement further warned that a return to protectionism and economic unilateralism would be harmful for all countries. It called on the global community to resist \u201cUS trade coercion\u201d and uphold a fair international trading system<\/a>.
So far in 2025, the US has imposed tariffs totalling 145 per cent on Chinese goods, pushing the effective tariff rate to approximately 156 per cent. According to a fact sheet released by the White House on Tuesday, when earlier tariffs are included, the total levies on Chinese imports could reach as high as 245 per cent.
In retaliation, China has hiked its own tariffs on US goods to 125 per cent, building on earlier duties, and has refused to enter into trade talks under what it deems unfair conditions.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is pressuring over 70 trading partners to reduce their economic engagement with China in exchange for tariff relief \u2014 part of a broader strategy to isolate Beijing ahead of potential talks with President Xi Jinping.
While senior officials from key regional economies like Japan and South Korea have recently travelled to Washington to negotiate tariff exemptions and limit export fallout, there has been little headway in resuming formal trade discussions between China and the US.
Beijing remains firm that any negotiations must be based on \u201cequality and mutual benefit,\u201d and has rejected entering talks under external pressure.<\/div>\n