Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth said the U.S. needed to “prepare for war” and stay “strong” with things heating up with China.
Trump signs off on an order imposing ‘catastrophic’ tariffs
Just last month, Donald Trump gave the green light on an order slapping “catastrophic” tariffs to, as he put it, “hold China, Mexico, and Canada accountable” for their “promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into” the U.S.
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The new order places a 20 percent tariff on all Chinese imports
The order kicked in on March 4 after a 30-day pause, adding another 10% tariff on everything coming in from China—bringing the total up to 20%.
The White House says China failed to take necessary actions
As for China, the White House put out a press release saying Chinese officials had “failed to take the actions necessary to stem the flow of precursor chemicals to known criminal cartels and shut down money laundering by transnational criminal organizations.”
China retaliates with tariffs on US coal, gas, and cars
China hit back with its own tariffs—15% on coal and liquefied natural gas from the U.S., plus a 10% tax on crude oil, farming equipment, and some cars.
Moreover, China added more tariffs on US agricultural products
Later on, they added another 10% tariff for sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruit, veggies, and dairy. On top of that, they slapped a 15% tariff on U.S. chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton—and even blacklisted 15 American companies from exporting to China.
The Chinese embassy in the US responds on Twitter
The Chinese embassy in the U.S. didn’t hold back, doubling down on their response to Trump’s order. They even posted a statement on Twitter, saying: “If the US truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals.”
China warns it is ready for any type of war
“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” they said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired back
He said the U.S. is “prepared” for war with China. But at the same time, he pointed out that Trump actually has a “great relationship” with President Xi Jinping.
Hegseth says the US is rebuilding its military
Hegseth talked about it on Fox & Friends, saying, “those who long for peace must prepare for war,” while pointing to how the U.S. is “rebuilding” its military.
He went on: “That’s why we’re rebuilding our military. That’s why we’re re-establishing deterrence in the warrior ethos.”
He confirmed that the US must be strong to deter war
Hegseth wrapped it up by saying, “If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong.”
