China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi Stands Firm Against US Trade Tactics

China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, recently spoke out against the US's trade policies. He called out the US for its "two-faced" behavior. This is in response to the US's recent increase in tariffs on Chinese goods. Wang Yi made these remarks during a meeting on the sidelines of China's annual parliamentary gathering. He warned that the US's "America First" policy could lead to a "law of the jungle" scenario. This means that the strongest countries could dominate the weakest ones. Wang Yi's comments came just days after the US announced a tariff hike on Chinese imports. The new tariffs are set at 20%. Wang Yi described these tariffs as "arbitrary". He also made it clear that China would not back down from the US's pressure. Wang Yi stated that "No country should think that it can suppress China and maintain good relations. " This shows that China is ready to stand up for itself in the face of US pressure. The recent tariffs have put a lot of pressure on China's exporters. Customs data showed that China's exports grew by only 2. 3% in January and February. This is much lower than expected. China's GDP growth target for this year is 5%. This means that China's exporters will have to work extra hard to meet this target. Wang Yi's comments were not the only aggressive remarks made by China's foreign ministry this week. They warned that China would fight to the end in any conflict with the US. This includes a tariff war or a trade war. However, Wang Yi's comments were more subdued. He emphasized that countries should honor their international obligations. He also warned that countries should not bully each other. If countries pursue their own interests without regard for the international order, "the law of the jungle would reign the world again" and small countries would suffer, Wang said. Wang Yi also pointed to the success of a Chinese artificial intelligence company, DeepSeek. This company released an AI model that was as sophisticated as leading US competitors. They did this while only using Nvidia's H800 chips. These chips were developed specifically for the Chinese market. The more advanced H100 chips were banned from being exported to China by US restrictions. Wang Yi used this as an example to show that US sanctions would not work. He said, "Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough; where there is suppression, there is innovation. " He also referred to the White House's flagship industrial strategy policy for China. This policy aimed to cut China off from the most advanced US technology. Wang Yi said, "A high fence and small yard cannot suppress innovation. " Wang Yi also presented China as being at odds with the US in other key foreign policy areas. He was asked about Trump's plans to redevelop Gaza. These plans have been widely criticized as endorsing ethnic cleansing. Wang Yi said, "Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people. " He also said that China supported the plan to rebuild Gaza. This plan was presented by Arab leaders at a summit in Cairo this week. On the Ukraine war, Wang Yi said China was "ready to work with the international community" to find a peace deal. But he insisted that China's close relationship with Russia was firm. He said that the war in Ukraine "could have been avoided" and that "no country should build its security on the insecurity of another". Beijing has long voiced sympathy with Moscow's concern about NATO enlargement. Wang Yi struck a more conciliatory note when it came to Europe-China relations. He said, "China remains confident in Europe and believes Europe can be a trustworthy partner. " Europe is an important trading partner for China. There are worries in Beijing that the relationship has suffered because of the war in Ukraine. With countries around the world reeling from the dramatic first weeks of Trump's presidency, Wang Yi said China was a country of stability. "We are living in a changing and turbulent world, " he said, adding that China could bring "certainty to this uncertain world".