FILE PHOTO: Employees work on an electric vehicle (EV) production line at a Volkswagen Anhui factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China September 25, 2024. According to a survey released earlier this week by the German Chamber of Commerce in China, about 38 per cent of German companies are accelerating their localisation plans in China as a key response to the US tariff hikes. In the automotive sector, that number rises to 48 per cent. -China Daily via Reuters
BEIJING: China has urged the United States to fully remove all unilateral tariffs imposed on its exporters, emphasising that a genuine resolution can only be achieved through equal and constructive dialogue, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday (April 24).
The ministry's remarks came in response to some foreign media reports that US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent recently said that a "trade war with China is unsustainable" and tensions are expected to ease in the near future.
Speaking at a weekly news conference in Beijing, He Yadong, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said that arbitrary US imposition of tariffs violates fundamental economic principles and market rules.
Rather than addressing its own challenges, these measures severely disrupt the international economic and trade order, hinder normal business operations and negatively affect people's livelihoods and consumer confidence, said He.
The ministry official said that such actions have sparked strong opposition both internationally and within the US. Since the US unilaterally initiated the tariff hikes, it should listen to the rational voices of the global community and its domestic stakeholders.
Echoing such sentiments, Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the US tariff hikes not only shake confidence in the international economic and trading system, but also erode global trust in the US.
Zhou said that competition and cooperation between China and the US in relevant industrial sectors can notably accelerate the pace of innovation and development, while also benefiting consumers worldwide.
"For example, the synergy between technological advancement and market expansion has rapidly elevated new energy vehicles into a standout sector in global manufacturing, propelling the fast-track commercialisation of related products and services such as autonomous driving, advanced batteries and vehicle connectivity systems," he added.
Amid Washington's indiscriminate imposition of tariffs on many countries, Ling Ji, vice-minister of commerce, convened a roundtable with foreign business executives on Wednesday to discuss the impact of US tariff increases on their operations and investments in China.
In a separate statement released on Thursday, the Ministry of Commerce said Ling, who also is deputy China international trade representative, reaffirmed China's commitment to further opening-up and urged multinational corporations to unite in opposing unilateralism and protectionism.
"China will continue to pursue high-standard opening-up, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign companies and take more proactive measures to support them in overcoming operational difficulties," he added.
According to a survey released earlier this week by the German Chamber of Commerce in China, about 38 per cent of German companies are accelerating their localisation plans in China as a key response to the US tariff hikes. In the automotive sector, that number rises to 48 per cent. - China Daily/ANN
