China strongly opposes U.S. additional tariffs on its clean energy products, which is a typical protectionism, political maneuvering and hegemonic bullying, said a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the United States on Wednesday.
The U.S. announced Tuesday that it would impose increased tariffs on a variety of clean energy products from China, including electric vehicles (EVs), with EV tariffs jumping from 25 percent to 100 percent. Tariffs on solar panels, semiconductors, and other key green technologies are also expected to rise.
The spokesperson told a press briefing that the U.S. side, using its 301 tariff review in an arbitrary manner, decided to step up 301 tariffs on certain imports from China. Instead of correcting its misconduct, the U.S. is going further down a wrong path. China strongly opposes the U.S. moves.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has drawn a clear conclusion that the U.S.'s Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules and international law. The U.S. move harms others without benefiting oneself. It will only significantly drive up the cost of imported goods, inflict more loss on American companies and consumers, and make the U.S. consumers pay even more. As one of the founders of the WTO, the U.S. has not only failed to play a role model in complying with WTO rules, but taken the lead in breaching them. By so doing, the U.S. can hardly embody the "fair competition" it champions, nor can it keep its credibility in the international community, the spokesperson said.
Over the past weeks and months, the United States, keen on securing its unipolar supremacy, has used trade issues as an instrument for attaining its political purposes. It has frequently imposed unilateral sanctions, abused the Section 301 tariff review process, and madly contained China's normal trade, economic and technological activities by hook or by crook. Taking unscrupulous actions against China does not prove the strength of the U.S., but only reveals that the US has lost self-confidence. It does not solve the U.S.'s own problems, but will further impede the normal functioning of global industrial and supply chains. It will not stop China's development and rejuvenation, but will only spur the Chinese people to forge ahead with greater determination, the embassy said.
The latest move by the U.S. is typical protectionism, political maneuvering and hegemonic bullying. It runs counter to President Biden's words of "not seeking to contain China's development" and "not seeking to decouple with China". It contradicts the spirit of mutual understandings between the two Presidents and severely undermines the atmosphere of bilateral cooperation.
The spokesperson said China urges the U.S. side to earnestly abide by WTO rules, and immediately revoke the tariff increase. China will do whatever necessary to defend its own rights and interests.