US President Donald Trump on Saturday defended his controversial use of tariffs against China and other countries, saying the trade measures are "working far better than anyone ever anticipated."

"Tariffs have had a tremendous positive impact on our Steel Industry," he said in one tweet. "Plants are opening all over the US, Steelworkers are working again, and big dollars are flowing into our Treasury."

"Tariffs will make our country much richer than it is today," Trump said in another tweet. "Only fools would disagree."

He also said China was "for the first time doing poorly against us."

His tweets came amid a new surge in trade tensions with China. Earlier this week, the US president told his top trade official to study whether to raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods from a planned 10 percent to 25 percent.

Beijing then threatened to impose an additional $60 billion in tariffs on a variety of American goods -- which White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow dismissed as "a weak response."

On Saturday China's foreign minister Wang Yi called his country's threat "fully justified and necessary."

Speaking on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore, he hit back at Kudlow's remarks: "As to whether China's economy is doing well or not, I think it is all too clear to the whole international community," Wang said, adding that China contributed a huge amount to global economic growth.

The growing friction with China has raised concerns in both countries -- and reportedly even within the Trump administration -- about collateral damage.

"We said before that this round of tariffs amounted to doubling down on the recklessness of imposing trade policy that will hurt US families and workers more than they will hurt China," a major trade group, the National Retail Federation, said in a statement last week.

While Trump has taken credit for new steel jobs created with the help of tariffs, retaliatory measures by Beijing and others have rattled US soybean farmers and the many companies reliant on increasingly expensive steel as a raw material.

China says tariff threat against US 'justified'
Singapore (AFP) Aug 4, 2018 - China's foreign minister said Saturday that his country's threat to impose retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion of American goods in an escalating trade spat was "fully justified".

Beijing threatened Friday to bring in the levies on products ranging from beef to condoms, after US President Donald Trump's administration upped the ante in its plans for additional tariffs on Chinese goods worth $200 billion.

Washington suggested the rate on the proposed extra tariffs could be increased from 10 to 25 percent.

The two countries have been embroiled for months in a trade conflict that has threatened to hurt consumers in both countries.

Washington claims that China's export economy benefits from unfair policies and subsidies, as well as theft of American technological know-how.

Speaking on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China's threat of retaliatory tariffs was "fully justified and necessary".

"These are measures taken out of the consideration for upholding the interests of the Chinese people," he said, speaking through a translator.

He said the move was also aimed at upholding the "global free trade regime" that was underpinned by the World Trade Organization.

Wang also hit back at comments by top White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow, who ridiculed China's tariff threat as "weak" and said the world's second-largest economy was in significant "trouble".

"As to whether China's economy is doing well or not, I think it is all too clear to the whole international community," Wang said, adding that China contributed a huge amount to global economic growth.

"I don't see why he would come to the conclusion that China's economy is not doing well."

In early July, the US imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese goods, with another $16 billion to be targeted in coming weeks, sparking retaliatory measures from China.

Days later, Washington unveiled a list of another $200 billion in Chinese goods, from areas as varied as electrical machinery, leather goods and seafood, that would be hit with 10 percent import duties.

But Trump raised the stakes this week with his threat to lift the tariff rate.

China has said new duties will be applied only if Washington pulls the trigger on its new tariffs.

The Republican president has been keen to show he is tough on trade ahead of tricky congressional elections in November -- but there are growing signs of concern in the White House that the dispute could affect Trump's political base.

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