Beijing: The United States is challenging the entire world and entering into confrontation with it by imposing tariffs, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced an additional hike of the tariff for China to 125% effective immediately after Beijing retaliated to the latest increase in US tariffs by imposing an additional 50% on US goods.

"Washington, guided solely by its own selfish interests, uses tariffs as a tool of extreme pressure to extract its own benefit. This grossly violates the legitimate rights and interests of other countries, seriously contravenes the rules of the World Trade Organization, undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system, and deals a serious blow to the stability of the global economic order. By these actions, the United States is challenging and confronting the entire world," Lin told reporters.

Taking necessary countermeasures against the United States is aimed not only at protecting the sovereignty, security and development interests of China, but also at protecting international justice, upholding the multilateral trading system and safeguarding the common interests of the international community, the diplomat said.

"I would like to emphasize once again that there are no winners in tariff and trade wars. China does not want to fight, but it is not afraid of a fight either. We will not stand by while the Chinese people are deprived of their legitimate rights and interests, nor will we stand by while international economic and trade rules and the multilateral trading system are destroyed," Lin said.

If the US insists on unleashing trade and tariff wars, China will fight to the bitter end, the spokesman said, adding that the US will face even tougher resistance from the world by sacrificing the legitimate rights of other countries for its own interests.