China has strongly responded to the United States’ decision to impose higher tariffs on Chinese goods, labeling the U.S. accusation that China is to blame for the fentanyl crisis as a "flimsy excuse" for raising tariffs. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian made these comments in reaction to a question from the New York Times about the U.S. decision to increase tariffs on Chinese imports to 10%. According to Lin, the U.S. is attempting to blame China for the fentanyl issue instead of recognizing China's efforts to assist in combatting the crisis.

Lin asserted that China’s countermeasures to defend its rights and interests were "fully legitimate and necessary" and said that the U.S. was responsible for its own fentanyl crisis. He emphasized that China had taken significant steps in a humanitarian spirit to help the U.S. address the issue, but instead of acknowledging these efforts, the U.S. had chosen to place blame on China. He argued that the U.S. tariff hikes would not resolve America’s problem but would only harm the ongoing counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation between the two countries. Lin made it clear that intimidation, bullying, or coercion would not deter China, stressing that any pressure on China would be a miscalculation.

The comments came in the wake of the Trump administration's decision to double tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%, prompting China to retaliate with tariffs of its own. On Tuesday, China announced a 15% tariff on U.S. goods including chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton, as well as a 10% tariff on other goods like sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, and dairy products. In addition to these tariffs, China's Ministry of Commerce added 15 American companies, including drone manufacturer Skydio, to its export control list, restricting Chinese companies from selling dual-use equipment to them.

Alfredo Montufar-Helu, head of the China Center for the Conference Board, noted that China’s retaliatory tariffs were aimed at industries critical to supporters of the Trump administration, suggesting that this approach was designed to cause pain without escalating the conflict further. By targeting these sectors, China may leave room for negotiations to avoid even harsher tariffs in the future. Lin concluded his remarks with a defiant statement, saying, "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."