China has signaled that it’s not afraid to fight the US in a trade war if required.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Beijing has been clear that there is no winner in a tariff or trade war. It comes as US President Donald Trump has claimed that the ball is in China’s court as Washington announced new tariffs that could see duties on Chinese imports soar to as high as 245%.  

The Chinese spokesperson also pointed that if the US really wants to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop exerting extreme pressure, stop threatening and blackmailing, and talk to China based on equality, respect, and mutual benefit.  

Meanwhile, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has cautioned that the Trump administration’s tariffs are expected to reverse the trend of international trade this year, dampening global economic growth.

The Geneva-based body had initially projected a robust 2.7% increase in goods trade for the year.

But due to Washington’s current trade strategy, it now forecasts a 0.2% decline.