China vows to respond to new US tariffs: Envoy
China’s envoy to Washington has announced that his country would not stand on ceremony to reciprocate an imminent decision by the US to impose new tariffs on imports of Chinese products.
Ambassador Cui Tiankai said Tuesday that Beijing will take counter-measures of the “same proportion” and scale if the United States decides to impose further tariffs on Chinese goods.
The comments came as the administration of President Donald Trump is to announce this week tariffs on $50 billion to $60 billion in Chinese imports. Those tariffs, which the US would impose following an investigation under Section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act, would come after Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the US, a decision which irked China.
“If they do, we will certainly take countermeasures of the same proportion, and the same scale, same intensity,” Cui said.
The envoy denied that China has been involved in theft of intellectual property and forced technology transfer, allegations that have prompted Trump’s administration to consider new tariffs, saying the country has been bolstering its protection of intellectual property rights.
“China has been strengthening its efforts and strengthening our legal system on this particular issue, and we are making good progress,” he said in an interview broadcast on state television.
To reciprocate Washington’s tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, China announced tariffs on $3 billion in imports of US food and other goods on Sunday. Beijing has denied it is pursuing a trade war with the US, but authorities insist they would do whatever necessary to protect China’s economy.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday that Beijing would not be deterred by prospects of a trade war with the US, a major economic partner for China over the past years.
“China does not provoke a trade war, and doesn’t want to fight a trade war, but we also aren’t afraid of a trade war,” Geng said.
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