‘Great wall of steel’: China warns U.S. over Trump tariffs, revives Xi’s threat

China warns U.S. over Trump tariffs, invoking Xi's "Great Wall."

The war of words between Washington and Beijing has intensified following President Donald Trump’s imposition of sweeping new tariffs. Although Trump has paused tariffs for 90 days for most nations, the measures targeting China remain firmly in place.

In a defiant move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning shared a July 2021 video of President Xi Jinping on X, signalling Beijing’s hardening stance. In the video, Xi delivers a stark warning to China’s adversaries:

“We have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and we never will. By the same token, Chinese people will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us. Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.”

Never underestimate the strong resolve of the 1.4 billion Chinese people to defend their interests! pic.twitter.com/FUGS6g6MkO Mao Ning (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) April 12, 2025

The message underlines China’s growing resistance as it confronts the escalating trade conflict. As the world’s second-largest economy and one of the United States’ biggest trading partners, China has matched Trump’s tariffs step for step in recent days.

Earlier, Mao Ning had also posted an archival clip of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong referring to the United States as a "paper tiger," invoking historic rhetoric to frame the ongoing tensions.

On Thursday, following Trump’s announcement of a steep 125% tariff on Chinese imports, Beijing responded with clear defiance.

The dramatic escalation underscores the high-stakes nature of the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.