Australia refuses to 'join hands' with China to fight US tariffs

Australia rejected China’s offer to work together to combat President Donald Trump’s tariffs. 

"We’re not about to make common cause with China," Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Sky News on Wednesday. "We are not going to be holding hands with China in respect of any contest that is going on in the world."

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Trump issued a 90-day pause on tariffs for nations across the globe — except China. Australia is among the countries that, for the next 90 days, will face only the baseline 10% tariff. 

Australia’s trade relationship with China puts the country in the middle of rising trade tensions. 

According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in 2023, China bought $219 billion — or 32.5% — of Australia’s total exports worldwide. Meanwhile, the department’s data shows the U.S. made up just 6% of Australia’s export sales. 

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Earlier this month, prior to the tariff pause, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Trump’s decision to impose a 10% tariff was "not the act of a friend." He also said that the tariffs had "no basis in logic." However, Albanese made it clear that his government would not retaliate.

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The Trump administration has taken an especially tough stance against China as it imposes tariffs worldwide. As of April 10, Trump raised the tariff on Chinese imports to 125%, as Beijing put an 84% tariff on American imports.

"By weaponizing tariffs to exert maximum pressure for selfish gains, the U.S. is pitching itself against the rest of the world," China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a post on X, a social media platform banned in China. "China doesn’t want a trade war, but we will fight if we must."

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Trump has not gone easy on China, writing in a post on Truth Social that the increase in tariffs on Beijing is a direct response to the country’s "lack of respect" for the global economy. The president made the comment in the post announcing his 90-day pause on tariffs for countries across the globe.

"At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable," Trump wrote.