The United States' push to revoke China's Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, or the Most Favored Nation (MFN) treatment permanently, violates the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on Wednesday.
The white paper, titled "China's Position on Some Issues Concerning China-US Economic and Trade Relations", aims to clarify the facts about the bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries and lay out China's position on relevant issues.
The white paper said that the PNTR status is the ballast of China-U.S. economic and trade relations.
The U.S. push to revoke China's PNTR status represents a clear instance of unilateralism and trade protectionist practices, which violates WTO rules and undermines China-U.S. relations and the global economic order, it said.
According to the white paper, WTO rules require its members to unconditionally grant MFN treatment to all other members, a requirement that has binding legal force.
Over the past two decades, the PNTR has served to stabilize China-U.S. economic and trade relations. Revoking China's PNTR status will see China-U.S. economic and trade relations returning to the uncertainty and unpredictability that preceded China's accession to the WTO in 2001, warned the white paper.
China opposes any unilateralist and protectionist acts that sabotage the multilateral trading system and hopes that the U.S. will be clearly aware of the possible harm caused by its attempt to revoke China's MFN status, the white paper said.
The white paper called on the U.S. to work constructively with the overwhelming majority of WTO members in safeguarding a fair and reasonable global economic and trade order and environment.
Revocation of China's Most Favored Nation status violates WTO rules: white paper
Rescinding China's most favored nation status undermines foundation of China-US trade relations: white paper
