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© Reuters. PHOTO FILE: China's Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Foreign Trade Representative Wang Shouwen attends a press conference during the current Beijing NPC session
By Cate Cadell
BEIJING (Reuters) – The United States can not exert pressure to impose a trade deal on China, a senior Chinese official and trade negotiator said Sunday in a statement refusing to determine whether leaders of the two countries would meet at G20 summit an agreement.
Trade tensions rose sharply last month after the administration of US President Donald Trump accused China of having "reneged" on its previous promises to make structural changes in its economic practices.
Washington subsequently imposed additional tariffs of up to 25 percent on $ 200 billion worth of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate.
At a press conference, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Wang Shouwen, said it was irresponsible for the United States to accuse China of backing down.
"If the US wants to exert extreme pressure, intensify trade frictions, compel China to submit and make concessions, it's absolutely impossible," said Wang, who was part of the team of China.
Turning to English, he said: "Nothing has agreed until everything is agreed".
"During the consultations, China has overcome many difficulties and pragmatic solutions, but the United States has backed down and when given an inch they want a building site," he said. .
Wang said that the United States had made "unreasonably high" demands and insisted that the "China's sovereign rights claims" be added to the country's agreement. Rising tariffs exacerbated tensions and frustrated negotiations, he added.
Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe echoed his remarks Sunday at a defense forum in Singapore.
"If the United States wants to talk, we will keep the door open.If they want a fight, we will fight until the end," Wei said.
Trump announced that he would meet with President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Osaka at the end of the month, although China has not confirmed the meeting.
When asked if Xi would meet Trump in Japan, Wang said, "I have no information about this to provide."
WHITE PAPER
Mr. Wang, who was speaking at the unveiling of a new government policy document on the trade war, said the US authorities are overestimating the trade deficit between the two countries and that China should not be held responsible for a drop in jobs in the US manufacturing sector.
The US deficit in goods and services with China is closer to $ 150 billion and not the $ 410 billion cited by US authorities, he said, adding that trade in China's transformation with the United States United should not be included in the calculation of the deficit.
The white paper cites three instances in which the United States has backed off its commitments, adding that Washington was responsible for the failures of the negotiations.
China had enough fiscal and monetary policy tools and "good momentum" to support economic development despite the trade war. Last week's data showed that the activity of factories in China had declined in May at a faster pace than expected.
She followed the unclear data in China's retail, export and construction sectors, suggesting that Beijing may need more stimulus to support the economy.
Wang also rejected claims that Beijing would direct domestic firms to acquisitions and investments abroad.
"The Chinese government is not involved in the specific business behavior of companies and will not ask companies to invest in a project or buy a technology," he said.
Wang reiterated that China was willing to meet the demand for rare earths from other countries, but it would be unacceptable for some nations to use rare earths from China to create products limiting its development.
Xi's visit to a rare earth production plant last month sparked rumors that China would use its dominant position as a rare earth exporter to the United States as a means of pressure in the trade war .
Wang said the Ministry of Commerce is investigating reports of delays in customs controls and that it will try to speed up inspections and reduce costs for importers.
Last month, a US economic pressure group said its members were facing growing obstacles in China, such as government inspections, slower clearance, and slower approval of licenses and other applications.
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