China's robust counteraction to US tariffs: Aiming to protect global trade

“CHINA has hit back hard against the United States’ tariffs, not only to safeguard our own interests and legitimate rights, but also to safeguard the international trade system with fairness and justice.”

- THEOLIN TEMBO

This was how Chinese Consul General in Cape Town, You Wenze, articulated China's strong response to the US' significant escalation in its ongoing trade conflict with not only China, but other key trading partners.

On April 2, 2025, the US imposed a sweeping set of "reciprocal tariffs", including a 34% tariff hike on Chinese imports.

In response, China firmly rejected these measures, reaffirming its commitment to free, fair, and multilateral trade practices that benefit all nations. You explained that the imposed tariffs severely infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, and severely disrupt the global economic order.

He said the Chinese government has strongly condemned such a move, calling out the US “reciprocal tariffs” as not being true “reciprocity” but rather a bargaining tactic of the US to force other countries to accept the trade terms unilaterally set by them.