US accusation on China of backtracking is groundless: Chinese scholar
By
Wang Ke, People’s Daily
The
US is being totally groundless by accusing China of backtracking on commitments
during bilateral economic and trade consultations, and it is well illustrated
by a white paper released on 2nd June 2019 by China’s State Council
Information Office, said a Chinese scholar named Tu Xinquan, dean of the China
Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and
Economics in Beijing.
The
white paper, China’s latest official statement on China-US economic and trade
relations, is of vital significance, said Tu.
It
marks the second time for Chinese government
to issue an authoritative report on China-US trade issues after The Facts and
China’s Position on China-US Trade Friction released last September, he
introduced. It focuses
on China-US economic and trade consultations and explains China’s position.
The
China-US trade and economic consultations have not been free of setbacks, each
of them being the result of a US breach of consensus and commitments, and
backtracking, said Tu, citing the white paper.
The
document cited three instances of the US backtracking on its commitments over
the last year, painting a clear picture about who is
the real promise-breaker, said Tu.
History
has proved that any attempt to force a deal through tactics such as smears,
undermining and extreme pressure will only spoil cooperative relationships,
leading to miss of historic opportunities.
In
addition to a preface and a conclusion, the 8,300-character white paper devotes
three sections to refute the groundless accusations of the US. It has a more
clear-cut theme compared with the previous one, and cites remarks and
statistics from the US government, the American Chamber of Commerce in China and
the World Trade Organization, refuting false US accusations with facts..
China
is committed to resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation. It has conducted
multiple rounds of economic and trade consultations with the US in an effort to
stabilize the bilateral economic and trade relationship, Tu said.
China’s
position has been consistent and clear – that cooperation serves the interests
of the two countries, that conflict can only hurt both, and that cooperation is
the only correct choice for both sides.
Regrettably,
however, trumpeting “America First”, the current US administration has adopted
a series of unilateral and protectionist measures, such as increasing tariffs
on Chinese products.
“By
starting the trade friction against China, the US has not only undermined
interests of both countries, but also exerted extremely negative impact on the world
economy,” Tu pointed out.
In
fact, in today’s era of economic globalization, the Chinese and American
economies are highly integrated and together constitute an entire industrial
chain. The two economies are bound in a union that is mutually beneficial and
win-win in nature. Equating a trade deficit to being taken advantage of is an
error, Tu said.
The
tariff measures have not boosted American economic growth. Instead, they have
done serious harm to the US economy. According to research by the US National
Retail Federation, the 25 percent additional tariffs on furniture alone will
cost the US consumer an additional $4.6 billion per year.
Economic
globalization is a firmly-established trend of the times and
beggar-thy-neighbor unilateralism and protectionism will receive no support, Tu
said.
The
trade protectionist measures taken by the US go against the WTO rules, damage
the multilateral trading system, seriously disrupt global industrial chains and
supply chains, undermine market confidence, and pose a serious challenge to
global economic recovery and a major threat to the trend of economic
globalization.
“The
white paper demonstrates China’s attitude to
resolutely oppose unilateralism and protectionist practices of the US,” Tu
said.
In
the white paper, China once again emphasized that it is committed to credible
consultations based on equality and mutual benefit, Tu said. The Chinese
government rejects the idea that threats of a trade war and continuous tariff
hikes can ever help resolve trade and economic issues.
As
the white paper stated, guided by a spirit of mutual respect, equality and
mutual benefit, the two countries should push forward consultations based on
good faith and credibility in a bid to address issues, narrow differences,
expand common interests, and jointly safeguard global economic stability and
development, Tu said.
US accusation on China of backtracking is groundless: Chinese scholar
Reviewed by PEOPLES MAIL
on
03:10
Rating:
No comments: