Beijing strikes back, says it will 'ignore' further U.S. tariff hikes

As tensions continue to rise, the PRC issued a new travel advisory for citizens visiting the U.S.

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“We are Chinese. We are not afraid of provocations. We don’t back down,” affirmed Mao Ning, spokesperson for the PRC’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday.

The next day, Beijing announced it was retaliating against Washington’s most recent tariff escalation—now totaling 145%—by raising its levies on U.S. goods to 125% from 84%, among other measures announced earlier, including a reduction in the number of imported U.S. films. Expressing disinterest in continuing the tit-for-tat, the Ministry of Finance further stated that “if the US continues to play the tariff numbers game, China will ignore it.”

Meanwhile, the PRC continues to try to deepen ties with the EU, Southeast Asia, and the Global South, promoting a message aligned with those efforts. According to Xinhua, on Friday, while meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing, Xi Jinpin…