Ashraf AboArafe
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday that China strongly regrets and opposes the US decision to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on imports from China and will take necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.
“China’s position is firm and consistent. There is no winner in trade and tariff wars,” the spokesperson said, noting that the US’s unilateral tariff hike seriously violates World Trade Organization rules. He stressed that the move cannot solve the US’s problems at home and, more importantly, does not benefit either side, let alone the world.
According to the spokesperson, China is one of the most stringent countries in the world in combating drugs, both in terms of policy and implementation, noting that fentanyl is a problem for the US, while China has provided support to the US in its response to the issue in a spirit of humanity and goodwill.
The spokesperson said that at the request of the US side, China announced in 2019 the decision to officially classify fentanyl-related substances as a category, making China the first country in the world to do so, and China has also engaged in extensive anti-drug cooperation with the US side, adding: “The achievements we have made are there for all to see.”
The spokesperson added that the US needs to view and handle its fentanyl issue in an objective and rational manner instead of threatening other countries with arbitrary tariff increases, stressing that additional tariffs are unconstructive and will affect and harm the future anti-drug cooperation between the two sides.
“China calls on the US to correct its mistakes, maintain the hard-won positive dynamics in anti-drug cooperation, and promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relations,” the spokesperson said.
