Washington DC [US], February 4 : Rushan Abbas, the Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs praised US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports as an important step in addressing both national security concerns and human rights violations.
On X, Rushan stated, "We are grateful for President Trump's' 10% tariff on all Chinese imports as an important and necessary step in countering Beijing's threats to US national security and its ongoing genocide against Uyghurs. China must be held accountable for its crimes, including the persecution of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolians, and Falun Gong practitioners in its ongoing war on religion."
https://x.com/RushanAbbas/status/1886474421784723866?t=ePLT_LCCduV1aKQ_EjeDaQ&s=08
Rushan's statement was made in response to a report from Radio Free Asia, which revealed that China had voiced "strong dissatisfaction and opposition" to US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 10 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports.
Trump signed the executive order on February 1, citing China's insufficient efforts to combat the smuggling of fentanyl into the US and criticising China's large trade surplus with America. In response, both China's Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Commerce condemned the move, announcing plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
"The US's unilateral tariff hikes seriously violate WTO rules, fail to address its issues, and harm both parties as well as the global economy," the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated in a Sunday press release. China's Ministry stated that fentanyl is primarily a "US problem" and highlighted that, at the U.S.'s request, China became the first country to regulate all fentanyl-related substances in 2019. The ministry urged the US to adopt an objective and rational approach to addressing its fentanyl issue, rather than resorting to tariff threats against other nations.
The US-China trade war is marked by a series of tariffs imposed by both nations on each other's goods. The US accuses China of unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, and currency manipulation. In response, China levied tariffs on American goods. In January 2020, a Phase One trade deal was signed, reducing some tariffs, but tensions persisted over issues like technology, market access, and human rights.