On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning emphasized that “there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war” and reaffirmed China’s commitment to protecting its national interests.
The statement comes in response to US President Donald Trump statement which states that a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports could be imposed from February 1 onwards to stop the flow of fentanyl supplied from China to Mexico and Canada.
Donald Trump’s claims are also backed by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) which has identified that the global fentanyl supply chain often starts with chemical companies based in China.
The DEA stated that the highly addictive opioid, fentanyl, was one of the biggest drug threats in the US. He also reiterated his concerns about both fentanyl and illegal immigration coming through these countries.
Trump claimed he had reached a deal with Xi during his first term to impose the death penalty for fentanyl trafficking, which was allegedly abandoned by President Joe Biden. “He was going to give the maximum penalty, which in China is the death penalty, for drug dealing, and he was all set,” Trump added.
Trump further claimed that if the death penalty had been awarded as per his deal, fentanyl wouldn’t have been supplied to Mexico, Canada and other nations in the first place. Trump has already threatened tariffs for both Mexico and Canada, not only allowing fentanyl but also illegal immigrants to cross over into America.
