Trade war will be ‘harmful for all’ China’s Vice-Premier Han Zheng says
Protectionism goes against the trend and ‘will lead to nowhere’, senior official tells business forum in Beijing
A senior Chinese official has warned that a trade war would be harmful for all involved and spark “greater conflict”, as tensions escalate over US President Donald Trump’s support for tariffs on imports of Chinese goods.
Addressing global business leaders at the China Development Forum in Beijing on Sunday, Vice-Premier Han Zheng called for negotiation and collaboration for the benefit of all sides, the official China Youth Daily reported.
“We believe trade protectionism, against the trend, will lead to nowhere. Unilateralism and a trade war will harm others without benefitting oneself … and invite greater conflict and a negative impact,” he was quoted as saying in his first public speech since being named as a vice-premier at the National People’s Congress last week.
Han did not elaborate or specifically name the US or Trump, but his remarks came just two days after Beijing hit back at Washington’s proposal to impose tariffs on US$60 billion worth of Chinese goods with a plan to apply duties to about US$3 billion worth of items imported from the US.
