Beijing: China has issued a warning to other countries, urging them not to appease the United States during negotiations over tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The statement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce follows reports that Washington may ask other governments to limit trade with Beijing in exchange for exemptions from U.S. import tariffs.
The Trump administration has begun negotiations with its trading partners over import duties. A Japanese delegation visited Washington last week, and trade talks between the U.S. and South Korea are scheduled to begin this week.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce stated, “Flattery never brings peace, and compromise won’t earn you respect. China believes that justice must be upheld by all and that international economic and trade rules, along with the multilateral trading system, must be defended.”
According to a report published last week in the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. plans to pressure dozens of countries during the tariff negotiations to reduce their trade with China.
Jasper Koll of Japanese online trading platform Monex Group noted that, statistically, around 20% of Japan’s profits come from trade with the U.S., while 15% are derived from trade with China.
“Japan certainly would not want to be forced to choose between the U.S. and China,” he added.
