US Move Is Blackmail, Ready To Hit Back: China

China on Tuesday condemned Donald Trump's threat to impose 10 percent tariffs on US$200 billion worth of Chinese goods as "blackmail" and warned it was prepared to take countermeasures if Washington goes through with them.

The US "practice of extreme pressure and blackmail departed from the consensus reached by both sides during multiple negotiations and has also greatly disappointed international society", the Commerce Ministry said in a statement on its website.

"If the US acts irrationally and issues a list, China will have no choice but to take comprehensive measures of a corresponding number and quality and take strong, powerful countermeasures."

Last week, Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on US$50 billion in Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to follow suit with matching duties on American imported goods.

Now Trump is warning that he would go even further, with punitive measures on an extra US$200 billion of Chinese goods – for a possible total of US$450 billion of goods, or most Chinese imports – "if China increases its tariffs yet again".

Trump had already warned at the time of "additional tariffs" should Beijing hit back with tit-for-tat duties on American goods.(AFP)