BEIJING- Chinese officials have taken a coordinated and unified position in response to the trade conflict initiated by the administration of US President Donald Trump against their nation.

The Chinese commerce minister said on Thursday that Washington’s trade and investment restrictions against Beijing are typical acts of unilateralism and bullying that "hurt others without benefiting itself."

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress, Wang Wentao denounced US tariffs against China. 

He said "attempts to coerce or blackmail China will not succeed, nor will they intimidate China." 

On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a strong warning to the US over its trade war. 

“Exerting extreme pressure on China is the wrong target and the wrong calculation … If the US has other intentions and insists on a tariff war, trade war or any other war, China will fight to the end. We advise the US to put away its bullying face and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation as soon as possible,” the ministry’s spokesperson Lin Jian said. 

On Tuesday, Trump imposed an extra 10% tariff on Chinese goods, taking the cumulative duty to 20%. In response, China imposed duties of up to 15% on a range of US agricultural products.
It seems that Trump’s tariffs are in line with the US policy to contain China. But this move will blow up in his face. 

Trump claims that tariffs will help boost the US economy and protect jobs. But facts on the ground indicate that such measures will ultimately increase prices for American consumers. 

Trump’s tariffs can hurt Chinese manufacturing. But they will fail to stop or replace it that easily. China’s trade with South East Asia, Latin America and Europe has been growing and it will be able to find new markets for its exports. 

Besides, Chinese factories are able to produce high-end tech in large quantities at a low cost. China is shifting its focus from the production of clothing and footwear to advanced technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) which has become Washington’s nightmare.

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, hit the headlines across the globe in late January after it topped app download charts and caused US tech stocks to sink.

The popularity of DeepSeek’s latest AI models rattled investors and wiped billions of dollars off the market value of chip giant Nvidia. It also called into question whether US companies would dominate the booming AI market.

The emergence of DeepSeek represents a significant advancement for the Chinese government, which has been striving to develop technology that is independent of Western influence.

It is now evident that China’s growing technology is capable of triggering a tsunami in the US financial markets. 

China’s achievements in the realm of advanced technology will enhance its high-value export capabilities and counteract the impact of Trump's tariffs.