'We're ready to fight till the end': China's ultimatum after Donald Trump says reciprocal tariffs to kick in from Apr 2

After US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on China, the Chinese Embassy in the States said if Washington wants war, then Beijing is ready to fight till the end. 

"If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end," the Chinese Embassy in the US said in a post on X. 

During his first address to the joint Congress in his second term, Trump said that reciprocal tariffs on India and China will kick off from April 2. He said that China's tariff on US-made products is 2x of what the US charges them. 

Trump mentioned that while the measures would cause "little disturbance", they are about making America rich again and making America great again. 

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson said that the fentanyl crisis is a "flimsy excuse" to hike US tariffs on Chinese imports, while asserting that Beijing's counter measures to defend its rights and interests are absolutely necessary. 

Pinning the blame for fentanyl crisis at Washington's doorstep, the Chinese MFA further said that China has taken steps to assist the US in tackling the issue. These steps include scheduling fentanyl-related substances and cooperating on intelligence sharing since 2019, often at Washington's request. 

"Instead of recognizing our efforts, the US has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes. They’ve been PUNISHING us for helping them. This is not going to solve the US’ problem and will undermine our counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation." 

The spokesperson further said that intimidation and bullying does not scare Beijing. "Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating." 

It also stated that if the US truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then it should consult China by treating both the countries as equals. 

Strengthening the partnership through equal consultations, as China proposes, can enhance the monitoring of precursor chemicals like 4-AP and norfentanyl used in fentanyl production.