BEIJING (Reuters) -China's state media warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump his pledge to slap additional tariffs on Chinese goods over fentanyl flows could drag the world's top two economies into a mutually destructive tariff war.

The president-elect said that he would impose the across-the-board tariffs on Day 1 and that they would stay in place until Canada, Mexico and China halted the flow of drugs and migrants.

A spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Washington said his country is fighting fentanyl trafficking, the reason for the new promised penalty.

While China could offset American tariffs by letting its currency fall, that might endanger Beijing’s recent efforts to stabilize the economy.

Trump announced plans to impose 10% tariffs on Chinese goods “above any additional Tariffs,” after blaming the country for the inflow of illegal fentanyl into the U.S.

By bno - Taipei Office China has responded defiantly to US President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports, accusing him of using the fentanyl crisis as a pretext for trade escalation.