China hits Donald Trump's 'extremely shameless' trade war in fiery rant: 'Let the small farmers in the American cry' | Today news

A top Chinese official issued a warning of President Donald Trump’s latest tariff skalation on Tuesday (April 15) and warned that the ‘extremely shameless’ trade war would eventually harm’ small farmers in the United States. Xia Baolong, who oversees Hong Kong and Macao matters for Beijing, in a national television address the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 145% levy on goods from the region, condemned and called the move “brutally unreasonably”. “The US is not after our rates, but our survival,” Xia explains. “The US has repeatedly contained and suppressed Hong Kong … and it will eventually return to itself.” “Let the small farmers in the United States cry before the 5000 years of Chinese civilization.” China will not be bullied: Xia The fiery remarks are one of the strongest public reactions of Beijing, as the tensions between the two countries escalate again. “The Chinese people do not cause problems and are not afraid of problems,” Xia said. “Pressure, threats and extortion are not the right way to handle China.” He argued that US efforts to use economic pressure would eventually fail, just as in previous views involving Hong Kong. Beijing retaliates with sharp tariff increases. The remarks come a few days after China announced that it would increase its own rates on US goods to 125% in retaliation for Trump’s move. The Tit-for-Tat measures increased the fear of another full-fledged trade war, with both sides dug in. JD Vance Sparks Diplomatic Anger tension has already flared up after US Vice President JD Vance in Beijing indignantly with controversial remarks on the role of China in the US consumer. “The US lends from Chinese smallholder farmers to buy things that Chinese smallholder farmers manufacture,” Vvce said. The remark attracted immediate condemnation of the Foreign Ministry of China. “Hearing words that have no knowledge and respect like those expressed by this vice president is surprising and kind of lamentable,” spokesman Lin Jian said. Lin said the remarks reflect a misunderstanding of modern China and shows a lack of respect for the Chinese people. The latest words of the war underline the aggravating state of the relationship between American and China amid trading war. First published: 16 Apr 2025, 1:09 am Ist