The tariff policies announced by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration undermines the free trade principles in which the United States participated, former Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić said.
Mrkić, now a member of the Advisory Council of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, slammed the United States for flouting multilateral trade rules and provoking instability through its unpredictable tariff practices, calling for a coordinated response from all countries to cope with the challenges together.
He said the U.S. tariff policies violate the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), a predecessor of the WTO framework that the United States helped to establish.
"I think that the present war, the tariff war which was extended by the U.S. administration, is not the one that is to the liking of many countries. And I do not want to support that. The deception is underway, and I think that the most of them are provoked by the rules of GATT, which invented all the rules, (with its membership) including the U.S." he said in an interview with the China Media Group.
Noting that erratic U.S. trade measures have injected uncertainty into the global economy, Mrkić called on all countries to prioritize collaboration to ensure stability.
China has emerged as a defender of multilateral trade by advancing initiatives to uphold economic globalization and counter protectionism, Mrkić highlighted.
Serbia is deepening cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly in infrastructure projects like the China-backed Belgrade-Budapest Railway, the former Serbian official said.
"We have strong coordination in infrastructure, not just the roads, but also the railways. For example, from the Belgrade-Budapest Railway which was built by the help of the Chinese. And infrastructure is just the first move," Mrkić said.
BRI partners should strengthen cooperation amid US tariff risks: former Serbian FM
A major port in northern Venezuela came under U.S. airstrikes in the early hours of January 3, which caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, destroyed critical medical supplies in a warehouse, and severely impacted centuries-old cultural heritage sites, according to local residents.
The La Guaira Port, a vital hub for imports that support daily life in the region, was heavily damaged during the attack.
Large quantities of medical supplies stored at the port were destroyed. A historic cultural building dating back for some 300 years was also badly damaged by the bombardment.
Residents living near the port recalled the terrifying scenes as explosions shook nearby neighborhoods.
Humberto Bolivar, who lives in a community separated from the port by only a main road, said the blast waves shattered his home's windows, while stray shrapnel struck the water tank on his roof. According to reports, three missiles were fired at the port that night.
Bolivar said that beyond material losses, he is most concerned about the psychological impact on his children, who remain too frightened to leave their home days after the attack.
"The United States invaded our country. The children were frightened. This is not good for them, because it leaves some children with psychological trauma. They do not want to go to school or leave the house, because they are afraid that something worse might happen. We truly do not want this to happen to our country," he said.
Apart from civilian facilities, local cultural heritage site was also affected.
The La Guaira state government building, a structure with nearly 300 years of history and once served as the site of Venezuela's first national customs office, was struck by the force of the explosions.
Windows of the building were shattered, and furniture scattered across the floor.
"As people of La Guaira, we feel deep pain. Our cultural heritage has been bombed. We are living in constant anxiety and suffering, and life can no longer be the same as it was before," said a local named Henry Cumares.
The U.S. side has claimed the airstrikes targeted warehouses allegedly used to store narcotics. However, locals refuted such accusation.
"According to what Donald Trump said, they bombed this place using the excuse that the warehouses here were used to store drugs at the port. But based on the video released by our governor, these warehouses that were burned contained medicine for kidney patients and foods. Many people depend on these supplies to survive. I think the bombing is extremely despicable," said a local resident named Alejandro Capriles.
US strike hits Venezuelan port, wrecking medical supplies, heritage building
