At a regular press conference on Thursday, He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce of the Chinese mainland, urged the United States to abandon its sweeping use of national security as a cover for trade measures. His remarks follow Washington's decision to hike tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and their derivative products from 25% to 50%.
He warned these measures 'not only harm others and itself but will also severely disrupt the stability of global industrial and supply chains.' He called on the United States to abandon a zero-sum mentality, engage in equal dialogue, and jointly uphold a rules-based multilateral trading system.
Addressing new restrictions imposed after the China-US economic and trade talks in Geneva in May, He noted that China had honored its commitments and upheld the consensus reached. He said the United States' actions 'blatantly undermined the consensus and grossly harmed China's legitimate rights and interests.'
Expressing strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, He warned that 'should the United States persist, China will resolutely take effective measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.'
He also stressed that the costs of the Section 301 tariffs ultimately fall on American businesses and consumers, urging Washington to fully revoke these measures and other restrictions to promote healthy, stable, and sustainable bilateral economic and trade relations.
Reference(s):
China urges U.S. to abandon excessive use of national security concept
cgtn.com
