BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that tariffs and trade wars undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, hurt the multilateral trading system, and impact the world economic order.

When holding talks with visiting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Xi said China is willing to work with Azerbaijan to safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, firmly protect respective legitimate rights and interests, and defend international fairness and justice.

U.S. should conduct dialogue with China on basis of equality, respect, mutual benefits

If the U.S. side truly wishes to solve tariff-related issues with China through dialogue and negotiation, it must stop threatening and extorting, and conduct the dialogue on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefits, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to the latest comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on trade tensions between the two countries.

China has pointed out that there are no winners in trade and tariff wars, and protectionism leads nowhere, Guo said, adding that decoupling and supply chains disruption will only lead to self-isolation.

China does not want to fight trade and tariff wars, but will not flinch when the war comes, Guo said, noting that if the United States is bent on waging a trade war, China will fight to the end. However, if the U.S. wants to talk, China will leave the door open for talks, he added.