China’s top diplomat said the country will respond to any further unilateral US sanctions, calling such moves a form of “bullying” in his first major public remarks since US President Donald Trump launched a new trade conflict,
The Straits Times reports.
“If the US is not willing, if it is bent on suppressing and containing China, then we have no choice but to play along to the end,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told officials at the Munich Security Conference on Feb 14.
“We will resolutely respond to unilateral bullying practices of the US.”
The Trump administration imposed 10 per cent tariffs on China days into his second term. Beijing retaliated by targeting a handful of American companies, slapping levies on some US goods and placing export controls on some critical metals.
Still, Mr Wang sought to take a longer view of relations with the US, expressing confidence that Beijing and Washington will remain engaged long into the future.
“We need to strengthen exchanges to boost understanding and build trust,” he said.
The Chinese authorities are attempting to strike a balance between taking action that could crimp its economy and demonstrating that it is able to respond to US moves. At the same time, they are seeking to bolster growth, with domestic demand remaining weak and exports now under threat.
But the US-China trade fight falls within a larger context. Mr Trump’s 10 per cent duties add to tension, but they are a fraction of the 60 per cent rate the US President had threatened during his re-election campaign – or the 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs he has imposed on steel and aluminium imports.
During his first administration, Mr Trump offered praise for President Xi Jinping – until the Covid-19 pandemic prompted him to blame China.
Despite elevating a number of China hawks to senior positions in his new administration, Mr Trump’s focus abroad so far has been on more immediate neighbours, including Panama and Greenland.
