Source: Sky News    Published: 2025-04-05

By Sky News

Countries across the globe are planning their response, or lack thereof, to Donald Trump's tariffs.

But one nation has already responded.

China responded to Trump's 34% tariff with its own levy of the same percentage on US imports.

'US using tariffs as a weapon'

According to state news agency Xinhua, China has this afternoon accused the US of using tariffs "as a weapon" to suppress Beijing's economy.

The country's foreign ministry added that the US should "stop undermining the legitimate development rights of the Chinese people". 

It also warned there were no winners from and no way out for protectionism.

China also claimed that the US tariffs violated World Trade Organization rules - rules it itself has broken a number of times.

'China will never yield'

Professor Wang Wen, trade expert at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, spoke from Beijing to Kamali Melbourne.

He outlined why he believed the tariffs would eventually benefit China, and why Beijing would "never yield" to the US president.

"The basic strategy of China's tariff policy against Trump is to count on reciprocal rules and defend China's national interest and dignity. China will never yield to Trump on the issue of tariff war," he said.

Professor Wen added: "In the future, many Chinese factories and companies will seek more international production bases... now Trump is forcing more Chinese companies to go abroad. 

"From this perspective... in the long term, Trump is helping Chinese companies better achieve global operations.

"Time is on China's side."