China Vows To Protect "National Interest" Against Trump's 10% Tariff Threat

China on Wednesday responded to US President Donald Trump's tariff threats and Beijing was ready to "national interests" in the trade war. Mr Trump has warned he could impose a 10 per cent duty on imports from China by the end of next week.

Vowed to defend its "national interests", China's foreign ministry said Beijing was "willing to maintain communication with the US, properly handle differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations".

"We have always believed that there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, according to a report by AFP. 

This came after Mr Trump stirred the tariff pot again after taking office and on Tuesday said his administration was discussing a 10 per cent punitive duty on Chinese imports because fentanyl is being sent from China to the US via Mexico and Canada.

When asked how soon they could be put in place, he said: "Probably February 1st is the date we're looking at."

That is the same date he had previously said he could impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, having accused them of failing to stop illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking into the United States.

China's economy remains heavily reliant on exports to drive growth despite official efforts to raise domestic consumption. Mexico, Canada and China are leading sources of US imports, according to official trade data.

Trump's China Policy

The Trump White House imposed tariffs on imports from China during his first term, citing alleged unfair practices by Beijing. His successor Joe Biden kept up the pressure with sweeping rules aimed at restricting Chinese access to high-tech chips.

Mr Trump threatened to go even further during his election campaign, vowing even higher tariffs if he won another term in office.