China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has condemned the U.S. imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods, accusing the U.S. of “two-faced” behavior and warning that the “law of the jungle” could emerge from President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy.
Speaking on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary gathering, Wang stated that China would “firmly counter” U.S. pressure, emphasizing, “No country should think that it can suppress China and maintain good relations.”
His comments came just days after the U.S. president announced an increase in tariffs on Chinese imports, raising them to 20%. Wang condemned these tariffs as “arbitrary.”
Customs data released on Friday revealed that China’s exports grew by only 2.3% in January and February, well below expectations. This underlines the pressure facing Chinese exporters this year as the country seeks to meet its GDP growth target of 5%.
While China’s foreign ministry has recently made more aggressive statements about the U.S., warning that China would fight to the end in any trade or tariff war, Wang’s tone on Friday was more measured. However, his frustration with Washington was evident. “A big country should honour its international obligations,” Wang said, urging nations not to “bully” each other. He warned that if countries act in their own interests without regard for global order, the “law of the jungle would reign the world again,” and smaller nations would suffer.
Wang also pointed to the success of the Chinese AI company DeepSeek as evidence that U.S. sanctions would not be effective. “Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough; where there is suppression, there is innovation,” he said.
