Chinese state media reported Tuesday that the country would increase its tariffs on the United States if President Donald Trump sidelines the country in trade deals with other countries.

The country argues that if the U.S. cuts China out of the supply chain through trade agreements with other Asian countries, it would disrupt the “normal international trade order.”

Recommended Stories

• Rubio visits Malaysia in first trip to Asia as secretary of state
• Russian deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children could amount to genocide
• Warren Davidson dismisses 'America’s responsibility to rebuild Gaza'

“If such situations arise, China will not accept them and will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” reads a commentary piece in the People’s Daily, a state-run newspaper.

“One conclusion is abundantly clear: dialogue and cooperation are the only correct path,” it continues.

The article was signed “Zhong Sheng,” or “Voice of China,” which is a term the newspaper uses to express views on foreign policy. It suggested that Trump’s tariffs amount to “bullying,” noting his “practice has proven that only by firmly upholding principled positions can one truly safeguard one’s legitimate rights and interests.”

The White House has given China a deadline of Aug. 12 to negotiate. The average U.S. tariff on Chinese exports is now at 51.1%, while the average Chinese duty on U.S. goods is 32.6%.

Trump increased his tariffs on other Asian countries this week, announcing 25% import tariffs on U.S. allies of South Korea and Japan, 36% on Thailand and Cambodia, 35% on Bangladesh, 32% on Indonesia, 40% on Myanmar and Laos, and 25% on Malaysia.

Asian imports from China have surged in recent months, with transshipments flowing through Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and India. Trump had railed against transshipments, which are a common logistics strategy to reduce costs and consolidate shipments. Trump has claimed China is using this to bypass duties.

Vietnam struck a deal with the Trump administration last week to reduce its tariffs to 20%, down from 46%, with a deal for goods “transshipped” through it, typically originating from China, to be subjected to a levy of 40%.

HOW THE US CAN CATCH CHINA IN CRITICAL MINERALS RACE

China expressed opposition to nearby countries striking tariff reduction deals that cut China out of the supply chain. The People’s Daily, in its commentary, called it a “typical act of unilateral bullying, which seriously disrupts the normal international trade order and must be firmly opposed.”

“China firmly opposes any side striking a deal that sacrifices Chinese interests in exchange for tariff concessions,” according to the People’s Daily.