An expert on China and international politics said Beijing’s is using its ‘wolf warrior’ style of diplomacy to appear tough.
The Chinese regime issued a response to additional U.S. tariffs that hit goods from China on Tuesday, saying it’s ready to fight any type of war that the United States wants.
President Donald Trump last month imposed a 10 percent duty on imports from China and increased that rate to 20 percent on March 4, citing the regime’s failure to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
Beijing responded with counter-tariffs on some U.S. agricultural goods and blacklisted dozens of U.S. companies, citing national security concerns and some companies’ involvement in arms sales to Taiwan.
Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described the U.S. tariffs as “intimidation” and “bullying,” and that “anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating.”
Lin went further by 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”—a line reposted on X by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
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. https://t.co/crPhO02fFE
— Chinese Embassy in US (@ChineseEmbinUS) March 5, 2025
Asked about the embassy’s post on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends” program, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded that the United States is “prepared.”
“Those who long for peace must prepare for war,” he said.
Hegseth said the Chinese regime is “rapidly increasing their defense spending [and] modern technology,” and wants to supplant the United States.
“If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong,” he said.
‘Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy
Yeh Yao-Yuan, professor of international studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, told The Epoch Times that instead of real willingness to fight a war with the United States, Beijing is continuing its “wolf warrior” style of diplomacy to appear tough, and it’s likely because the Foreign Ministry doesn’t know how to find a solution where Beijing would gain benefits.
Regarding the punitive tariffs on China, the Trump administration has given a clear signal that it wants to bring Beijing to the negotiation table, but the Chinese regime doesn’t want to be forced to the table, he said.
By Lily Zhou
