China reaffirmed its strong opposition on Monday to any agreement that compromises its interests, and emphasized its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation's legitimate entitlements, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The ministry warned that no country can remain unaffected amid growing unilateralism and protectionism.
The remarks came in response to foreign media reports that during tariff negotiations, the administration of United States President Donald Trump intends to pressure other countries to restrict trade with China in exchange for exemptions from the US' additional tariffs.
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Beijing firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at China's expense. If such a situation arises, China will not accept it and will take countermeasures in a resolute and reciprocal manner, the Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement.
The ministry said the US recently imposed arbitrary tariffs on all its trading partners under the pretext of so-called "reciprocity", while pressuring others into engaging in so-called "reciprocal tariff" negotiations.
This is, in essence, an exercise in hegemonic politics and unilateral bullying in the realm of trade and economics, cloaked in the rhetoric of "reciprocity", said the statement.
"Appeasement doesn't lead to peace and compromise brings no respect," it said.
"If international trade reverts to the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, all economies will ultimately suffer," said the ministry, reiterating that China stands ready to strengthen solidarity and coordination with all parties, work together to confront these challenges, jointly resist unilateral bullying, and uphold international fairness and justice.
The US government's shift toward economic nationalism will have long-term consequences, said Su Qingyi, a senior fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics.
"Its strategy of increasing unilateral tariffs to pressure other countries into accepting unreasonable demands amounts to a form of economic coercion, which violates the principle of sovereign equality in international economic relations," said Su.
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According to a study released by Nankai University in Tianjin, the US leveraged Section 232 tariff measures on steel and aluminum to achieve certain objectives, such as replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The US also pressured South Korea into accepting voluntary export restraints on steel, a measure explicitly prohibited under the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Safeguards, the study said.
Woo Wing Thye, distinguished professor emeritus of economics at the University of California, Davis, said the US tariff policies have sped up the integration of the European Union, driving EU members toward deeper ties and political unity.
"The EU and the member economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are aware of the risks of becoming pawns in major power rivalries," he said, adding that they prefer neutrality and regional integration to avoid choosing sides and aim to create a large economic buffer zone between competing global powers.
zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn
