A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that at the invitation of the Swiss government, He Lifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, will visit Switzerland from May 9 to 12 to hold talks with Swiss leaders and relevant parties. During his visit to Switzerland, Vice Premier He Lifeng, as the Chinese leader of China-US economic and trade negotiations, will hold talks with US Treasury Secretary Bensont, the US leader. From May 12 to 16, Vice Premier He Lifeng will go to France to co-chair the 10th China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue with the French side.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce of China answered questions from reporters on the high-level economic and trade talks between China and the United States, saying that since the new US government took office, it has adopted a series of illegal and unreasonable unilateral tariff measures, which have severely impacted China-US economic and trade relations, seriously disrupted the international economic and trade order, and also brought severe challenges to the recovery and growth of the world economy. In order to defend its legitimate rights and interests, China has taken resolute and forceful countermeasures. Recently, senior US officials have continuously leaked information about adjusting tariff measures and actively conveyed information to China through various channels, hoping to talk with China on tariffs and other issues. China has carefully evaluated the US information. On the basis of fully considering global expectations, China’s interests, and the calls of the US industry and consumers, China has decided to agree to engage with the US. As the Chinese leader of China-US economic and trade talks, Vice Premier He Lifeng will hold talks with the US leader, US Treasury Secretary Bensont, during his visit to Switzerland.
The spokesperson said that China’s position is consistent. Whether it is fighting or talking, China’s determination to safeguard its own development interests will not change, and its position and goal of defending international fairness and justice and maintaining the international economic and trade order will not change. If we fight, we will fight to the end; if we talk, the door is open. Any dialogue and negotiation must be carried out under the premise of mutual respect, equal consultation, mutual benefit and mutual benefit. There is an old Chinese saying, “Listen to what they say and watch what they do.” If the United States wants to resolve the issue through negotiations, it must face up to the serious negative impact of unilateral tariff measures on itself and the world, face up to international economic and trade rules, fairness and justice, and rational voices from all walks of life, show sincerity in talks, correct wrong practices, meet China halfway, and resolve the concerns of both sides through equal consultation. If they say one thing and do another, or even attempt to continue to coerce and blackmail under the guise of talks, China will never agree, let alone sacrifice its principled position and international fairness and justice to seek any agreement.
The spokesperson pointed out that China has noticed that some economies are also negotiating with the United States. It needs to be emphasized that appeasement cannot bring peace, compromise cannot be respected, and adhering to principled positions and upholding fairness and justice is the right way to safeguard one’s own interests. No matter how the international situation changes, China will always remain steadfast in expanding opening up, firmly upholding the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and firmly sharing development opportunities with countries around the world. China is willing to work with all parties to continuously deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination, jointly resist unilateral protectionism and hegemonic bullying, jointly safeguard free trade and multilateralism, and promote the construction of an inclusive and beneficial economic globalization.
