China has warned that it will firmly oppose and retaliate against any attempts by other countries to trade away its interests, following reports that the US is pressuring its trading partners to limit trade with Beijing in exchange for tariff exemptions.
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In a statement published on Monday, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said Washington was using reciprocity as a pretext to impose unilateral economic pressure, calling it “unilateral bullying” that violates international norms and “economic hegemony under the cloak of fairness”.
“Trying to trade away others’ interests for temporary gains is like bargaining with a tiger for its skin – it will only backfire,” the statement said.
The ministry warned that any deals made by foreign governments at the expense of Chinese interests would not be tolerated.
“If such a situation arises, China would never accept it and would take firm countermeasures,” the spokesperson added, vowing that Beijing has both the determination and the capability to defend its rights.
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The ministry warned that a return to protectionism and economic unilateralism would harm all countries, calling for joint efforts to resist US trade coercion and to uphold a fair global trading system.
