Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng on Tuesday cited a poem to emphasize the importance of staying composed and remaining determined amid the tariff tensions between China and the United States.
The United States announced on Monday to impose an additional 10-percent tariff on products imported from China, effective from March 4. This move follows an additional 10-percent tariff imposed by the U.S. on products imported from China in February this year.
On Tuesday, China's Ministry of Commerce said the country has initiated legal action against the United States under the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism regarding the latter's latest tariff increase on Chinese products. Meanwhile, China's Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced that, effective from March 10, additional tariffs will be imposed on some products imported from the United States, with an additional 15-percent tariff on chicken, wheat, corn and cotton, and an additional 10-percent tariff on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables and dairy products.
Xie, who is in Beijing attending the third session of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said that China will stay poised against the tariff impacts.
"There's a poem by the Late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that says 'Amidst the dusk a sturdy pine stands; unshaken whilst the surrounding clouds danced.' On the one hand, we must acknowledge the serious challenges currently facing China-U.S. relations. On the other hand, we must have confidence and remain determined in our country's development and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. From a historical standpoint, whether it is a tariff war or a trade war, it often begins with the intent to harm others but ultimately ends in self-damage," said Xie in an interview with Yuyuantantian, a new media arm of China Media Group (CMG).
Chinese ambassador calls for staying composed amid China-US tariff disputes
