Beijing, Feb 5 (IANS): Applying pressure is not the right way for the United States to handle its relations with China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday, referring to the additional 10 per cent tariff the US has placed on goods from China under the pretext of fentanyl-related issues.
"Disregarding the outcomes of China-US cooperation on drug control, the US has insisted on imposing this tariff on Chinese imports. China has expressed its strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the move, and has taken necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," Lin told a regular news briefing.
Shifting the blame to other countries will not resolve the fentanyl crisis in the United States, and there are no winners in trade or tariff wars, Lin said.
He said that applying pressure and issuing threats is not the right way for the United States to handle its relations with China, noting that the basic solution for the US is reducing its domestic drug demand and strengthening its law enforcement cooperation.
Lin said that on January 17, China's head of state held a telephone conversation with then US President-elect Donald Trump at the request of the latter, reaching a principled consensus on undertaking mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
"What is needed now is not unilateral tariffs, but dialogue and consultation -- on equal footing and with mutual respect," Lin said, Xinhua news agency reported.
China has some of the strictest drug control policies and highest levels of enforcement globally, Lin said.
In 2019, China became the first country in the world to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a distinct class, which it did on humanitarian grounds and at the request of the United States, he said.
In recent years, China and the United States have made clear progress in practical cooperation on drug control in such areas as substance regulation, intelligence exchange and case cooperation, producing tangible benefits, according to the spokesperson.