China says will 'ignore' further US tariff hikes, Xi slams 'unilateral bullying'

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Chinese President Xi Jinping speak as they walk along the gardens of Diaoyutai Guest House after a meeting in Beijing, China, 11 April 2025. ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES/Pool via REUTERS

In his first remarks after US President Donald Trump's announcement of 145 percent tariff, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the European Union on Friday to join hands with Beijing in resisting "unilateral bullying", state media said, in reference to swingeing tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

Xi made the comments as he met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Soon after, Chinese finance ministry announced it is hiking the tariffs on US goods to 125 percent starting from April 12. It also said that the country will ignore further tariff on its goods by Trump.

“Given that American goods are no longer marketable in China under the current tariff rates, if the US further raises tariffs on Chinese exports, China will disregard such measures,” according to the statement.

Xi praised Sanchez for his frequent visits to China and said Beijing is willing to build bilateral ties with “more strategic determination and more vitality” amid “changes and chaos in the international situation.”

He also called for a joint effort to oppose “isolationism, unilateralism and decoupling,” taking what appeared to be a veiled swipe at the US. A stable development of China-Spain relations is especially important given the turbulence sweeping the world, Xi said.

Chinese officials on Wednesday cautioned citizens against traveling to the US, and warned students of security risks related to studying in “certain US states” — a departure from Xi’s push to improve people exchanges.

The tariff hikes have marked a dramatic step-up in trade tensions between the two countries. Prior to 2025, the average import taxes charged by each side on the other were less than 20%, even after the first trade war in Trump’s previous term in office.