Tariff, trade wars serve no party's interest: spokeswoman

Tariff, trade wars do not serve any party's interest, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

Mao made the remarks in response to a media query about the Trump administration's recent proposal to impose additional import tariffs on goods from certain countries.

"China always opposes unilateral tariff measures in any form. Tariff wars and trade wars serve no one's interests. Economic and trade issues should be settled through dialog and consultation on the basis of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit," said Mao.

The United States should take concrete actions to implement the common understandings reached with China and ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese journalists who work and live there, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

Mao made the remarks in response to a U.S. State Department spokesperson's claim that China did not guarantee U.S. journalists the same rights that it is expecting from U.S. authorities for those attached to Chinese media outlets.

"The U.S. side talks about reciprocal treatment, which is exactly China's concern. It is the United States that started the media issue. Since the two sides reached three points of common understanding, the Chinese side has fully implemented them and provided various facilitation including visas for U.S. journalists to come to China for coverage. In contrast, basic reporting rights of Chinese journalists stationed in the United States have been severely restricted. Almost no Chinese journalist has been granted the opportunity for on-the-ground coverage at the White House. Their visas and residence permits are often delayed for no justifiable reason, while many have been forced to return to China. Chinese journalists' applications for short-term reporting assignments in the United States are rarely approved. Could this be a reciprocal treatment?" said Mao.

"The U.S. side talks about freedom of speech, yet Chinese media in the U.S. are labeled with the political tags 'foreign agent' and 'foreign mission'. Is this what the United States calls freedom of speech? The United States should take concrete steps to implement common understandings reached with China and ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese journalists working and living in the U.S.," said the spokeswoman.