Former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom has told America to 'wake up' after China threatened 'war' over Donald Trump's trade tariffs.
The Chinese embassy in the US has posted a number of chilling messages on social media in the wake of Trump's increased sanctions over the deadly drug fentanyl.
Earlier this week, the White House doubled the tariffs he slapped last month on Chinese products to 20 percent.
Beijing retaliated with tariffs of up to 15 percent on some US exports, while the Chinese Embassy vowed that Beijing will 'fight till the end' in 'any type of war'.
'No embassy issues this type of statement without the capital's approval'.
It is not the first time that Kanter Freedom, who is Turkish-American, has spoken out about the Chinese government. He previously criticized the NBA for doing business with China and called out human rights abuses in the country.
The Chinese embassy sent the US another concerning warning on Thursday.
'Whatever kind of war it is, a tariff war or a trade war, a cold war or a hot war, they should not be fought and cannot be won,' a statement read.
'If the U.S. truly wants to solve the #fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals. '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,' their statement read.
That prompted Kanter Freedom to send a warning to Washington. The former NBA star, who most recently played for the Celtics, wrote: 'Wake up America'