Breaking | China Fires Back in Stern Rebuke to Trump's Tariff Es

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European leaders have weighed in as well, with French officials pressing caution and urging companies to pause new U.S. investments temporarily, and South Korea announcing a $2 billion aid plan to help its beleaguered automotive industry. Another major European manufacturer, Tata Steel, said it would eliminate 1,600 jobs in the Netherlands, blaming geopolitical instability and pressure from tariffs in the U.S. Despite international alarm, Trump has stayed resolute. In a speech at a rally in Ohio, he stood by the tariff increase as essential to “end China’s cheating once and for all.” “We’re bringing jobs back to America,” he added and we will not let foreign countries take advantage of our economy anymore.” Chinese state media, by contrast, offered a different description. Editorials called the Trump administration’s actions “reckless” and politically motivated rather than apprising economic strategy. They added that China would not be “stirred by empty threats.” Diplomatic channels are still open, even as tensions mount. Trade negotiators from each country are said to be engaged in quiet talks, hoping to prevent a devastating economic rupture. But as both governments take on ever more nationalistic sounds, the chances of a quick settlement seem less assured now the world is watching anxiously as the two giants move toward a renewed, protracted trade war. The implications forworld markets, industries, and ordinary consumers are enormous. Supply chains are threatened, flows of investment are dwindling, and there’s uncertainty about future trade agreements. And with neither side appearing to budge, fears of a global economic slowdown are growing. The weeks ahead could be decisive in the direction of global trade and the wider global finance.