China makes alarming threat towards US after Trump imposes tariffs on country

China has made an alarming threat towards the United States after US president, Donald Trump, imposed new tariffs on the country.

Earlier this week, Trump imposed new tariffs on the likes of Canada, China and Mexico.

US tariffs of 25 percent have now come into force against goods hailing from both Canada and Mexico - both countries of which are the US' two biggest trading partners - while a 20 percent tariff on Chinese goods has come into effect, which is doubling the levy on China from last month.

What does Trump's latest tariffs on China mean?

So, for example, imposing a 20 percent tariff on Chinese goods means that a product worth $10 would have an additional $2 charge applied to it.

Explaining his reasoning behind the move, the 78-year-old Republican stated that higher tariffs on US imports from across the globe will help 'make America great again' by enabling the country to gain political and economic concessions from allies and rivals on the world stage.

And, during his Congress speech on Tuesday (4 March), the president said imposing reciprocal tariffs - the practice of imposing tariffs on imports from other countries at a rate that matches the tariffs those countries impose on imports from the country enforcing the reciprocal tariff - will make American businesses more competitive.

When he first announced plans for new tariffs, the White House said Trump was 'taking bold action to hold [the three countries] accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country'.

He claimed such tariffs will increase prices on foreign goods to make domestic goods more appealing to domestic consumers.

Seemingly making a reference to the upcoming April Fool's Day (1 April), he claimed is was 'very superstitious' hence his decision to instead roll out the tariffs the day later (2 April).

How did China respond to Trump's latest tariffs?

The Chinese embassy in the US took to social media to deliver an extremely serious warning to Trump claiming the country was 'ready to fight till the end'.

They posted on X earlier today (5 March): "If the US truly wants to solve the #fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals.

"If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end."

China has already retaliated against Trump's latest tariffs, with tariffs of its own against US goods which have, in turn, triggered concern of a global trade war and higher prices.

From next week, the country will add its own 15 percent levy on a range of agricultural products such as chicken, wheat, corn and cotton, while an extra 10 percent will be added to soya beans, pork, beef, fruit, vegetables and dairy products imports.

"China opposes this move and will do what is necessary to firmly safeguard its legitimate interests," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said.

"If the United States … persists in waging a tariff war, a trade war, or any other kind of war, the Chinese side will fight them to the bitter end."

China’s finance ministry added: "The US' unilateral tariff increase damages the multilateral trading system, increases the burden on US companies and consumers, and undermines the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the US."