China will have to hit back at US ‘bullying’, top diplomat says
Chinese authorities are attempting to strike a balance between taking action that could crimp its economy and demonstrating that it has an ability to respond to US moves
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.
“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 Friday (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, 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.
Chinese authorities are attempting to strike a balance between taking action that could crimp its economy and demonstrating that it has an ability 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 in a larger context. Trump’s 10 per cent duties add to tension, but they’re a fraction of the 60 per cent rate the US president had threatened during his reelection campaign – or the 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs he’s imposed on steel and aluminium imports.
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During his first administration, Trump offered praise for President Xi Jinping – until the pandemic prompted him to blame China. Despite elevating a number of China hawks to senior positions in his new administration, the president’s focus abroad so far has been on more immediate neighbours, including Panama and Greenland.
But days before his Jan 20 inauguration, Trump and Xi had a call in which they discussed trade, TikTok and fentanyl, in addition to Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.
“We have a very good personal relationship,” Trump told Fox News in an interview taped last week.
Russia ties
Wang spoke in Germany at a gathering focused on global security. He fended off a question on whether China would stop Russian gas purchases to pressure the Kremlin in its war on Ukraine.
“If China does not buy gas from Russia, which country can provide so much gas as to meet the needs of the Chinese people? It’s not possible,” he said.
The minister reiterated China’s call for peace talks that involve all parties, including Europe, to the conflict. But Beijing has largely avoided the core issues in the war, such as Ukraine’s demand that Russia abandon territory it annexed since 2014.
“China would love to see all efforts conducive to peace, including over the past couple of days, the US has reached a common understanding with Russia,” Wang said.
In Xi’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, both leaders said they are open to dialogue with Trump on the war in Ukraine “if appropriate signals come from Washington”. Trump has said that he wants Xi’s help in swiftly ending the conflict.
Before travelling to Germany, Wang visited the UK and Ireland, and will head to the US and South Africa after the conference, the Foreign Ministry announced earlier. BLOOMBERG
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