China hits back at Donald Trump’s ‘absurd’ criticism of its WTO developing country status
- US president claims China and other countries are ‘cheating’ the United States by designating themselves with the World Trade Organisation to receive special benefits
- Xinhua New Agency claims the US are attempting to gain leverage over China ahead of the trade talks that are due to be held in Shanghai on Tuesday and Wednesday
China has hit back at US President Donald Trump’s criticism of China’s developing country status at the World Trade Organisation, bringing another dispute between the world’s two countries to the surface as Chinese and American trade negotiators prepare to resume talks on Tuesday in an attempt to end their year-long trade war.
Trump also tweeted that “the WTO is broken when the world’s richest countries claim to be developing countries to avoid WTO rules and get special treatment”.
If the WTO does not make the necessary change, The White House said, the US were ready to take unilateral action to strip the preferential treatment of countries it believes no longer qualify.
Chinese state media argued that Washington’s demand was “absurd” and was an “old trick” that would fail.
“In order to protect its own interests, the US has cast a shadow over the multilateral trading system and open global economy. Such selfishness and self-interest is against the signs of the time, it will certainly be opposed by all parties, and it is impossible that it will succeed,” added the commentary.