China issues bold warning to Trump administration over fentanyl tariffs: ‘Ready to fight any type of war till the end’

Tensions between the United States and China escalated sharply on Tuesday after Beijing issued a strong warning to President Donald Trump’s administration following the latest round of U.S. tariff increases. The move comes after Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%, citing China’s failure to curb the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids into the U.S.

In an executive order issued Monday, Trump stated that “the failure of the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to act to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from the PRC to the United States constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat.”

China swiftly fired back, rejecting the claim and accusing the U.S. of using the fentanyl crisis as a pretext for economic aggression. “The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Our countermeasures to defend our rights and interests are fully legitimate and necessary.”

Beijing went further, directly challenging the Trump administration’s strategy. “Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating,” the statement read. “If the U.S. truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals.” In a stark warning, the ministry added, “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.”

Escalating Trade Retaliation

In response to Trump’s move, China announced new tariffs of 10-15% on select U.S. imports, set to take effect on March 10. The targeted goods include key American agricultural exports, along with new restrictions on U.S. firms operating in China. Beijing has also raised formal complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over what it views as unjustified economic coercion.

The dispute highlights the ongoing struggle between the two global superpowers, with economic and diplomatic tensions reaching new highs. While Trump’s administration aims to pressure Beijing into taking stronger action against fentanyl trafficking, China has repeatedly denied responsibility for the opioid crisis.

The Trump administration has positioned fentanyl as a national security issue, pointing out that the powerful synthetic opioid is now the leading cause of death among young and middle-aged Americans. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl overdoses have claimed more lives annually than the total number of U.S. soldiers killed during the Vietnam War.

White House officials argue that many of the precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl originate in China before being funneled into North America through Mexico. The Trump administration has also criticized Canada’s failure to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., responding with a new 25% tariff on Canadian goods, set to take effect Tuesday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government would retaliate in the coming weeks with tariffs on $155 billion worth of American products. In response, President Trump took to Truth Social to warn Trudeau, writing, “Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!”

What’s Next?

As tensions continue to mount, Trump is expected to address the tariff war, the fentanyl crisis, and other pressing issues in his highly anticipated joint Congressional address Tuesday night. The speech is likely to set the tone for the administration’s next steps in handling both economic and foreign policy challenges.