Senior official: Trump administration putting ‘a knife to China’s neck’ with tariffs

A senior Chinese official said Tuesday the U.S. is putting “a knife to China’s neck” in its ongoing trade war with Beijing.

“Now that the United States has adopted such a huge trade restriction measure … how can the negotiations proceed? It’s not an equal negotiation,” Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said at a news conference in Beijing, according to Reuters.

{mosads}The comments came a day after the Trump administration implemented its latest round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and Beijing responded with levies on $60 billion worth of U.S. products in the two countries’ ongoing trade feud.

“If this continues, it will destroy in an instant the gains of the last four decades of China-U.S. relations,” Wang reportedly told members of the U.S.-China Business Council and National Committee on United States-China Relations.

President Trump made criticism of China’s trade practices a centerpiece of his campaign and has continued that rhetoric in the White House.

“China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns,” Trump said a statement earlier this month. “Once again, I urge China’s leaders to take swift action to end their country’s unfair trade practices. Hopefully, this trade situation will be resolved, in the end, by myself and President Xi of China, for whom I have great respect and affection.” 

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said week that the administration’s goal is to get China to change its trade practices.

“The purpose of the tariffs is to modify China’s behavior, especially in technology transfers and other abuse of tactics such as subsidies and market limitations,” Ross said on CNBC. “The real purpose is not to end up with tariffs. The real purpose is to end up with a level playing field so that American firms can compete properly.”