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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photo: AFP

Trump accuses China of stealing copyrights and currency manipulation

The Republican Party’s nominee also says he would renegotiate trade deals, specifically mentioning China’s World Trade Organisation accession agreement

Donald Trump accused China of stealing copyrights and unfairly manipulating its ­currency as he accepted the Republican Party’s nomination, charges likely to fuel anger in a country already upset at criticisms of ­Beijing in the party’s new policy platform.

Trump – a critic of Chinese trade policies – was being anointed as the party’s candidate in November’s presidential election, and used his acceptance speech at the convention in Cleveland to pledge that he would stop China’s “outrageous theft of intellectual property, along with their illegal product dumping, and their devastating currency manipulation.”

He also said he would renegotiate trade deals, specifically mentioning China’s World Trade Organisation accession agreement.

His comments are likely to provoke China, which has already lashed out at the Republican Party over its criticisms of Beijing, accusing it of levelling groundless accusations and meddling in China’s internal affairs.

We hope these parties will stop groundlessly accusing China and interfering in China’s domestic affairs, and that they will do more to promote trust and
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang

“Any party in the United States should view China’s development objectively and reasonably, and should correctly understand issues related to China-US ties,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the official China Daily newspaper. “We hope these parties will stop groundlessly accusing China and interfering in China’s domestic affairs, and that they will do more to promote trust and cooperation between China and the US.”

The Republican criticisms of China are contained within its policy platform adopted at this week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. It refers to China’s ­territorial claims in the South China Sea as “preposterous” and says ethnic minorities face “cultural genocide”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang. Photo: AFP

“The liberalising policies of recent decades have been abruptly reversed, dissent brutally crushed, religious persecution heightened,
the internet crippled, a barbaric population control two-child policy of forced abortions and forced sterilisations continued, and the cult of [former Communist Party leader Mao Zedong (毛泽东) ]revived,” the document says.

The platform also addresses trade issues, saying China cannot be allowed to continue currency manipulation, and that a Republican president will “stand ready to implement countervailing duties” against countries that trade unfairly.

During the campaign, Trump’s comments about China have focused on the loss of Amer­ican jobs and China’s alleged cheating at ­global trade. Beijing has denounced Trump’s threats of economic retaliation, but many ­Chinese observers have seen a silver lining
in his focus on economic issues instead of ­human rights and political freedoms. At times, Trump has even given backhanded compliments to Beijing’s leaders as being smarter than Washington’s.

Trump has also proposed a 45 per cent ­tariff on Chinese imports coming into the US – although many experts question whether the value of China’s currency is now a driving ­factor in the trade deficit which hit a record US$370 billion last year.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Beijing responds to ‘groundless’ accusations on trade
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