‘Bargaining with a Tiger for its skin’: China’s stark warning as US tariff fight escalates

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China has issued a sharp warning against what it sees as growing US pressure on its global trading partners, vowing to “firmly oppose and retaliate” against any moves that compromise its national interests.
The statement comes amid reports, cited by the South China Morning Post, that Washington is urging allies to scale back trade with Beijing in return for tariff exemptions — a move China likened to bargaining with a tiger for its skin.
A spokesperson for China’s ministry of commerce accused Washington of using reciprocity as a justification to apply “unilateral economic pressure,” describing it as “unilateral bullying” that violates international norms and represents “economic hegemony under the cloak of fairness.”
“Trying to trade away others’ interests for temporary gains is like bargaining with a tiger for its skin – it will only backfire,” the statement read.
The ministry made it clear that any agreement by foreign governments that undermines Chinese interests would provoke a strong response.
“If such a situation arises, China would never accept it and would take firm countermeasures,” the spokesperson said, adding that Beijing has both “the determination and the capability to defend its rights.”
The statement further warned that a return to protectionism and economic unilateralism would be harmful for all countries. It called on the global community to resist “US trade coercion” and uphold a fair international trading system.
So far in 2025, the US has imposed tariffs totalling 145 per cent on Chinese goods, pushing the effective tariff rate to approximately 156 per cent. According to a fact sheet released by the White House on Tuesday, when earlier tariffs are included, the total levies on Chinese imports could reach as high as 245 per cent.
In retaliation, China has hiked its own tariffs on US goods to 125 per cent, building on earlier duties, and has refused to enter into trade talks under what it deems unfair conditions.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is pressuring over 70 trading partners to reduce their economic engagement with China in exchange for tariff relief — part of a broader strategy to isolate Beijing ahead of potential talks with President Xi Jinping.
While senior officials from key regional economies like Japan and South Korea have recently travelled to Washington to negotiate tariff exemptions and limit export fallout, there has been little headway in resuming formal trade discussions between China and the US.
Beijing remains firm that any negotiations must be based on “equality and mutual benefit,” and has rejected entering talks under external pressure.