Trump tariffs: Xi Jinping says China, EU should jointly resist ‘unilateral bullying’

In response to the United States imposing a 145 per cent tariff on Chinese goods, President Xi Jinping has called on the European Union to collaborate with China against what he termed "unilateral bullying." This move comes as China retaliated by increasing its tariffs on American goods from 84 per cent to 125 per cent. The Chinese finance ministry stated, "If the US insists on continuing to infringe upon China's interests in a substantive way, China will resolutely take countermeasures and fight to the end."

During a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Xi stressed the importance of China and the EU joining forces to resist the US's economic pressures. He stated, "China and Europe should fulfil their international responsibilities... and jointly resist unilateral bullying practices." 

Sanchez acknowledged that while Europe has a trade deficit with China, it should not hinder further cooperation. "Both Spain and Europe have a significant trade deficit with China that we must work to rectify," he said, adding, "We must not let trade tensions stand in the way of the potential growth of the relationship between China and Spain and between China and the EU."

US President Donald Trump defended the tariff increases, saying, "We're very, very happy with the way the country's running. We're trying to get the world to treat us fairly." US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the measure as a "calculated play" and cautioned Beijing, "Do not retaliate, and you will be rewarded." In defiance, China has reiterated its stance to "fight to the end," while initiating diplomatic outreach to form a united front against Washington's actions.

Premier Li Qiang has been active in engaging with European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This outreach, described as sending a "positive message to the outside world," underscores China's intent to deepen trade and investment ties with the EU. "China is willing to work with the EU to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and the EU, strengthen communication and exchanges, and deepen China-EU trade, investment and industrial cooperation," the state agency reported.

Additionally, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, has reached out to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to strengthen alliances, while Li has assured business leaders that China is prepared for "all kinds of uncertainties" and will introduce policies as needed.