China draws bottom line
By Wang
Cong
China on
June 2 made clear that it would not give any ground on core issues of principle
despite mounting pressure from US bullying on trade and technology and that it
will “fight to the end” if forced, as officials issued a key document that
harshly criticizes the US for repeatedly backtracking and jeopardising the
trade talks.
China’s Position on the China-US
Economic and Trade Consultations
released by the State Council Information Office, offered China’s most
comprehensive response yet to US accusations since talks broke down last month
and clearly draws China’s bottom line for potential negotiations, analysts
noted.
“China
will not bow under pressure and will rise to any challenge coming its way,” the
document read, “China is open to negotiation, but will also fight to the end,
if needed.”
Draw bottom line
Though
Chinese officials have made similar comments before, it was necessary for China
to clarify its stance and draw a bottom line in the trade talks in a written
document, given continuing accusations and bullying from US officials, said Tu
Xinquan, dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of
International Business and Economics in Beijing.
“The US
has become so unreliable that we must draw our bottom line clearly. That way,
if they can accept it, we can; if not, why waste time?” Tu told the Global Times on June 2.
The
white paper stated that China’s “sovereignty and dignity must be respected, and
any agreement reached by the two sides must be based on equality and mutual
benefit. On major issues of principle, China will not back down.”
The
document comes amid looming speculation about whether leaders of the two
countries will meet during the G20 summit scheduled later this month in Japan.
A meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump,
if it happens, is widely expected to reach some breakthrough as it did in
Argentina in December 2018, when they reached a truce.
However,
in light of recent US actions, Chinese officials have appeared reluctant to
agree to a meeting. Asked about the potential for such a meeting at a press
briefing about the white paper on Sunday, Wang Shouwen, a vice commerce
minister, said he had no information to offer.
Wang
said that China is open to talks but it must be based on mutual respect, mutual
comprise and equality. “If we cannot achieve this, then there is no point for
consultations; even if we talk, we won’t be able to reach an executable and
sustainable agreement,” he said.
Trade
talks between the two countries stalled after the US announced on May 6 that it
would increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, accusing Chinese
officials for backtracking. The US has also blacklisted Chinese telecom Huawei
citing national security concerns.
China
has also raised tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods, which went into
effect on June 1, and said that it would establish an “unreliable entity list”
of foreign companies and individuals who harm the interests of Chinese
companies.
US to blame
The
white paper released on June 2 also pushed back on US officials’ accusations
that China had backtracked during negotiations.
“The US
government should bear the sole and entire responsibility for this severe
setback,"” it stated, adding that “the US government’s accusation of
Chinese backtracking is totally groundless.”
The
document detailed how it was the US that backpedaled three times over the past
year.
“Even
after China overcame difficulties to find pragmatic solutions to many issues
raised by the US, it still wanted a yard after China offered an inch,” said Wang,
who is part of the Chinese negotiating team, noting that the US insisted on “unreasonable”
demands, including terms that violate China’s sovereignty.
“If the
US thinks it can force China to make concessions through maximum pressure and
by escalating the trade friction, that’s absolutely impossible,” he said.
“China
will definitely not flinch under US pressure,” Song Guoyou, director of Fudan
University’s Center for Economic Diplomacy, told the Global Times on June 2, “If the US exerts more pressure, China will
certainly take tougher countermeasures to retaliate.”
Though
the white paper did not mention any countermeasure, it signals that, if forced,
China will take necessary countermeasures, including restricting rare earths
export to the US, analysts said.
Asked
whether China will restrict rare earths export to the US, Wang said that “it
would be hard to accept” if some country uses products made of China’s rare
earths to contain China’s development.
Source:Global Times
On June 2, 2019, Beijing, the
State Council Information Office held a press conference and published a white
paper on “China’s position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations.”
Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative of
International Trade Negotiations, delivered a speech. (Photo by Xiong Yong from
CFP)
China draws bottom line
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