China has called on the United States to abandon its overuse of national security justifications in trade practices, urging a move towards cooperation and stability in global commerce.
At a recent press conference, He Yongqian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce, criticized the U.S. decision to double tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and their derivative products from 25% to 50%. He described the move as harmful not only to other nations but also to the U.S. itself, warning that it could severely disrupt global industrial and supply chains.
“The United States should let go of its zero-sum mentality,” He said. “We need to address each other’s concerns through equal dialogue and jointly maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains.”
He also commented on new restrictions imposed by the U.S. following China-U.S. economic and trade talks in Geneva last May. He emphasized that China has fulfilled its obligations and upheld the consensus reached during those talks. However, the U.S. has since introduced a series of new restrictions, which He says undermine agreements and harm China’s legitimate rights and interests.
“Should the United States persist, China will resolutely take effective measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” He warned.
Addressing the U.S. Section 301 tariffs, He reiterated China’s clear and consistent stance against them, noting that the costs ultimately fall on U.S. businesses and consumers. He urged the U.S. to revoke these tariffs and other restrictions to promote healthy, stable, and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations.
