China slams US tariffs over fentanyl as 'bullying'

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday condemned the United States for imposing tariffs on China under the pretext of the fentanyl issue, calling it a typical act of bullying.

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks in response to media reports suggesting that the United States may impose further punitive measures to pressure China into taking substantive action on the fentanyl issue.

Fentanyl is a problem for the United States, not China, and the responsibility lies with the United States itself, Guo said.

He added that the United States has unreasonably imposed additional tariffs on China, disregarding China's goodwill, and in doing so, has seriously undermined dialogue and cooperation between the two sides on drug control.

"The United States should understand that smear campaigns and attacks cannot conceal its own failure to fulfill its responsibilities, that repaying goodwill with resentment will not help resolve the issue, and that pressure and threats are by no means the right way to engage with China," the spokesperson said.