Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said his nation is “not afraid,” in his first public comment on the escalating trade war with the United States, as Beijing raised tariffs on US goods to 125%.

On April 10, Trump clarified that his tariffs on China now total 145%—the 125% rate he announced a day earlier as retribution for China's trade policies, plus a previously announced 20% levy imposed over fentanyl.

Beijing’s retaliation came after the White House ratcheted up its tariff on Chinese goods to 125 percent, on top of an existing 20 percent tax.