Xia Baolong, a prominent Chinese official responsible for Hong Kong affairs, criticized the United States’ tariff actions on Tuesday, describing them as “extremely shameless” and accusing them of aiming to undermine Hong Kong. Xia, who directs the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under China’s State Council, stated that the Chinese, including those in Hong Kong, have never been swayed by such aggression.
In his remarks, Xia expressed a sentiment that the U.S. would be futile in its attempts against China’s longstanding cultural heritage. He asserted China’s resilience by stating, “The Chinese people do not cause trouble, nor are they afraid of trouble. Pressure, threats, and blackmail are not the right way to deal with China.” These comments were made during a televised speech marking Hong Kong’s National Security Education Day.
This situation arose following China’s raising of tariffs on U.S. imports to 125% as a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy to increase tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%. U.S. Vice President JD Vance had earlier commented on the economic relationship between the U.S. and China, which led to criticism from Chinese officials. Hong Kong, despite being subject to the U.S. tariffs imposed on China and no longer being regarded by Washington as a separate trading entity, does not currently plan to enact retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. This position was clarified by John Lee, Hong Kong’s leader, last week. Meanwhile, Beijing has dismissed the U.S. President’s tariff measures as a “joke.”