China's government vowed Friday to "counterattack with great strength" if President Donald Trump goes ahead with plans to raise U.S. tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese goods and said negotiations were impossible under current conditions.
Trump's surprise move Thursday to instruct the U.S. trade representative to consider the additional tariffs came a day after Beijing announced plans to tax $50 billion US in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to slap tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports.
In Beijing, a Commerce Ministry spokesman said China doesn't want a trade war — but isn't afraid to fight one.
This has been excerpted from the 6 April 2018 edition of CBC News.