China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian (Photo by John Louie Abrina)
Despite global economic shifts brought about by the imposition of tariffs by the United States, the Chinese government will remain steadfast in its commitment to multilateralism, free trade, and “win-win” cooperation with the rest of the world.
Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said this is China’s way of countering the US’ chosen path of “protectionism, unilateralism, and economic bullying.”
“China believes that trade wars and tariff wars have no winners, and protectionism will lead nowhere. Going against the world will only lead to self-isolation,” he stressed.
Huang said he attended a very important meeting in Beijing last week where China’s top leaders, led by President Xi Jinping, charted China’s future, particularly the policy on its Asian neighbors.
He also expressed China’s willingness to hold a dialogue and consultation with the US on the tariffs issue. Beijing recently named Li Chenggang as China’s new top international trade negotiator.
Ambassador Huang Xilian meets the press in Makati City on Wednesday, April 16. (Photo by John Louie Abrina)
“No matter how the international situation changes, China is committed to opening ever wider to the world, and China will remain confident, stay composed, and concentrate on managing its own affairs well. If the US is determined to fight a tariff and trade war, China’s response will continue to the end,” he stressed.
Huang said the tariffs imposed by the US on its trading partners “severely infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system, and destabilizes the global economic order.”
“Under the guise of ‘reciprocity’ and ‘fairness,’ the US is playing a zero-sum game to pursue in essence ‘America First’ and ‘America Exceptionalism’,” the envoy said, adding that US tariff hikes will further widen the wealth gap among countries and less developed countries will bear a heavier brunt.
Huang said the Chinese government strongly deplores and firmly rejects US tariff hikes and will do what is necessary to defend its legitimate rights and interests.
Despite the 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs announced by the US government, Huang said this “cannot change the nature of the US seeking private gains through trade blackmail.”
“We don’t go for a battle unprepared,” Huang said, and claimed that China’s economy has a solid foundation and sufficient driving forces for steady growth and bring much-needed stability to the volatile world.
“We are ready to import from the rest of the world,” he declared.
Ambassador Huang Xilian (Photo by John Louie Abrina)
Just last week, leaders from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced the substantial conclusion of the upgraded Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said the upgraded FTA will eliminate many tariffs between China and ASEAN.
“We will bring more tariffs down to zero in many cases, and then expand to all the areas,” he added.
President Xi was on a three-nation swing of Southeast Asia where he made a case for free trade and presented China as a source of stability and certainty.
Huang said it was President Xi who proposed the concept of building a community with a shared future with China’s neighboring countries.
During the central conference in Beijing last week, China vowed to consolidate strategic mutual trust with its neighbors, support regional countries in following a steady development path, and properly manage differences and disputes.
“We engage not just bilaterally but regionally under the China-ASEAN FTA and RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership),” he added.
Last year, the Philippine government signed a deal to export its products to China worth more than $1 billion.
