China warns countries not to cut US trade deals at its expense

Beijing warned nations against making trade agreements with Washington that hurt China, highlighting how economies around the world risk getting caught up in tensions between the two powerhouses.

While it respects nations resolving their trade disputes with the US, Beijing “resolutely opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Monday. If that happens, Beijing “will never accept it and will resolutely take reciprocal countermeasures,” it added.

“China is willing to strengthen solidarity and coordination with all parties, jointly respond and resist unilateral bullying acts,” the ministry said. 

Dozens of nations are seeking reductions or exemptions from President Donald Trump’s historic import levies. In return, the US wants them to take steps limiting China’s manufacturing might, ensuring Beijing doesn’t find ways around the tariffs.

Trump’s top economic advisers have been discussing asking representatives from other nations to impose so-called secondary tariffs — essentially a monetary sanction — on imports from certain countries with close China ties, Bloomberg News reported earlier, citing a person familiar with the process. Washington also wants trading partners to refrain from absorbing excess goods from China, other people said.

Vietnam is getting ready to crack down on Chinese goods flowing across its borders on the way to the US, Reuters reported earlier. 

China has stepped up its outreach to Southeast Asia and Europe as Trump turns his attention to the world’s No. 2 economy. President Xi Jinping toured Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia last week to rally an “Asian family” that can better deal with the risks resulting from Trump’s tariffs.

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Published on April 21, 2025