Trump tariffs: Ex-NBA player warns US about China’s ‘war’ warning

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom warned the U.S. on Wednesday after China vowed to “fight till the end” against President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Tuesday, saying it was ready for any “type” of war with the U.S. It pushed back against tariffs levied against the Chinese government that Trump bumped up from 10% to 20% earlier this week over Beijing’s failure to address the flow of fentanyl entering the U.S.

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Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter, #13, gestures as he reacts to an official call against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Nov. 28, 2021. (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)

Kanter Freedom, who has been outspoken for the last few years against the Chinese government, sounded the alarm about the threat in a post on X.

“No embassy issues this type of statement without the capital’s approval,” he wrote. “Wake up America.”

Kanter Freedom was one of the only NBA players to speak out against Chinese President Xi Jinping and the detention camps holding Uyghur Muslims. He also criticized the NBA for having a partnership with the NBA while the atrocities were occurring.

“If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in the statement. China has already responded to the tariffs by imposing a 15% tariff on American agricultural goods. 

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The shoes of Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom, #13, before playing the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden in Boston on Nov. 1, 2021. (Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)

Jian’s statement, which was quoted by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, argued that the fentanyl issue is a “flimsy excuse” to raise tariffs on Chinese imports. Jian cautioned that “intimidation does not scare us” and “bullying” would not work.

“Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China,” Jian said. “Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating.”

President Donald Trump will impose 20% tariffs on Chinese imports, citing the ongoing fentanyl crisis as a reason for the decision. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci / iStock)

The tariffs against China went into effect on Tuesday. Trump increased the tariffs on Monday with an executive order that stated the Chinese government has failed “to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from [their country],” and that such failure constitutes an “unusual and extraordinary threat.”

The Chinese government has opposed the tariffs since they were announced. 

The Trump administration is already imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, which were announced last month and also went into effect on Tuesday.

Kanter Freedom played in the NBA from 2011 to 2022. He averaged 11.2 points per game in 748 career appearances. He last saw the court with the Boston Celtics before he was traded to the Houston Rockets and later waived.

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom, #13, before a game against the Toronto Raptors at the TD Garden in Boston on Oct. 22, 2021. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)

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Since then, he has been an outspoken critic of China and Turkey.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

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