Use of G20 to advance protectionist rhetoric slammed

China has pushed back against attempts to use the Group of 20 as a platform to amplify concerns over alleged "economic imbalances" and "overcapacity", warning that such rhetoric risks fueling protectionism and further disrupting global trade, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

In response to a question about recent comments by United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on China's trade, the ministry voiced strong opposition to attempts to use multilateral platforms such as the G20 to air such claims.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing in Beijing, Huang Ling, a spokeswoman for the ministry, said such rhetoric is essentially a cover for protectionism and an excuse to pressure and restrain China. "This will only disrupt global trade and economic order and undermine the sound development of the world economy," she added.

The spokeswoman called on all countries to uphold multilateralism, enhance policy communication and coordination, expand openness and cooperation, and jointly keep global industrial and supply chains stable and smooth to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. 

Zhao Minghao, a professor and deputy director of Fudan University's Center for American Studies in Shanghai, said Washington's increasingly transactional approach to international affairs is spilling into global economic governance, turning multilateral platforms into arenas for strategic competition rather than mechanisms for promoting cooperation.

This tendency is also reflected in US economic policy, Zhao said, as Washington increasingly relies on tariffs, industrial policy and other government tools to strengthen domestic industries and reduce its economic reliance on China.

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said unilateral restrictions distort market-based resource allocation, aggravate trade imbalances and disrupt global supply chains.

China is prepared to address legitimate trade concerns, Zhou said, but attempts to shift blame would not resolve the underlying problems. Mutual benefit, rather than zero-sum rivalry, remains at the heart of China-US economic ties, he added.

Business leaders, meanwhile, have continued to emphasize the importance and potential of bilateral cooperation.

Despite ongoing trade frictions, Raj Subramaniam, president and CEO of US logistics company FedEx Corp, said there are "a lot of opportunities" for trade between the US and China.

Subramaniam, who is also chair emeritus of the US-China Business Council, said global trade is entering an era of "re-globalization", as supply chains are being rewired to become more resilient and diversified.

Regarding US sanctions, the Ministry of Commerce urged the US to reverse its actions and lift sanctions on the Chinese companies and individuals concerned. The ministry issued a ban in May prohibiting any recognition, enforcement or compliance with US sanctions imposed on five Chinese companies on the grounds of their alleged involvement in Iranian petroleum transactions.

Huang, the ministry's spokeswoman, said the US measures disrupt legitimate trade and threaten global energy security and supply stability, stressing that China will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.

China-EU ties

China also called on the European Union on Thursday to address trade differences through dialogue on an equal footing, warning against unilateral demands, conditions or threats to restrict market access.

The comments came after European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic reportedly said the EU would consider deploying its full range of trade defense instruments and restricting market access if talks with China fail to produce concrete results.

Huang said China is not the source of the EU's economic and trade challenges and could instead be a partner in addressing them, stressing that protectionism offers no solution.

The two sides have maintained close contacts since the first meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism on June 29. Senior Chinese and EU officials held further talks in Beijing this week on issues of mutual concern, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn