US tariffs on Chinese goods violate WTO rules: official

China

US tariffs on Chinese goods violate WTO rules: official

2025-02-20 16:56 Last Updated At：02-21 03:37

The additional tariffs the United States has slapped on Chinese goods are in violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, a Chinese commerce ministry official said in Beijing on Thursday.

At a press conference detailing China's work to stabilize foreign investment in 2025, Zhu Bing, director of the Department of Foreign Investment Administration under the Ministry of Commerce, gave his assessment when asked to comment on the additional 10-percent tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on goods imported from China.

"Today, I would like to reiterate that the increased U.S. tariffs severely violate the WTO rules. Not only do they fail to address the U.S.' own problems, but they also undermine normal China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation. This approach is not conducive to the development of foreign-invested enterprises in China, including U.S.-owned businesses, and will disturb investment decisions of multinational firms," he said.

Despite this, the official stressed that foreign companies still view the Chinese market positively and are eager to tap into its full potential.

"At the same time, I'd like to say that China's economic foundation is stable, with many advantages, strong resilience and great potential. The long-term positive trend and supporting conditions for economic growth will not change. Many multinationals have a strong outlook on China's long-term development prospects and are eager to explore the Chinese market. We will continue to work towards creating a world-class business environment, allowing more foreign enterprises to better share the opportunities for growth," said Zhu.

China willing to make new contributions to global marine governance: FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that China has both the will and the ability to make new contributions to global marine governance.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing a meeting of preparatory committee for the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) via video link.

Wang said that the BBNJ Agreement marks the success of multilateralism, and is also a milestone of the global marine governance.

The full and effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement is of vital importance to the common well-being of all mankind, Wang said, adding that China is a firm supporter, defender and builder of the United Nations.

In the face of a volatile international situation, China firmly upholds the central position of the United Nations and remains a pillar of multilateralism, Wang said.

Noting that China has long and profound marine civilization, Wang said China nowadays is also committed to promoting modernization featuring harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

Wang said China has proposed to host the Secretariat of the treaty in Xiamen, which indicates the responsibility of a major developing country.

China is willing to work with all parties to promote the full and effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement and jointly build a more just and reasonable global marine governance, he said.