'Major powers should not bully the weak', China foreign minister says

7/3/2025 17:04

Beijing will "resolutely counter" U.S. pressure on tariffs and the fentanyl issue, China's foreign minister said on Friday, adding that major powers "should not bully the weak", in a veiled swipe at the Trump administration's foreign policy.



Top diplomat Wang Yi also presented China as a reliable global power in the midst of geopolitical turmoil and U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from international institutions, part of a clear appeal from Beijing to Europe and countries in the Global South.



The U.S. levied an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports this week over the continued flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the country, threatening to worsen an escalatory spiral of trade actions. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference on the sidelines of China's annual parliamentary meeting, "If one side blindly exerts pressure, China will resolutely counter that."



Wang added, the U.S. "should not repay kindness with grievances, let alone impose tariffs without reason," referring to the "various assistance" Beijing has provided Washington on tackling the flow of fentanyl precursor drugs into the U.S.