Beijing (TDI): China said on Tuesday it hoped to cooperate with the US to resolve trade issues, as President Donald Trump began his second term after threatening to impose major tariffs on the Asian giant.
Beijing is “open to enhancing dialogue and communication with the US, managing differences responsibly, and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation,” said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun when asked about new levies under Trump.
“China hopes the US will work with us to foster the stable, healthy and sustainable growth of China-US economic and trade relations,” Guo said during a regular media briefing in Beijing.
He acknowledged “differences and frictions” between the two countries but stated “the common interests and space for collaboration between the two nations are huge”.
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China and the US, the world’s two largest economies, have experienced a tumultuous trade relationship in recent years.
Trump imposed tariffs on imports from China during his first tenure.
His successor Joe Biden kept up the pressure with sweeping rules aimed at restricting China’s access to high-tech chips.
And Trump threatened to go even further during his election campaign, pledging even higher tariffs if he won another term in office.
China Urges Fair Business Environment
Asked about the future of the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok — which has secured a 75-day grace period but may yet be effectively banned from operating in the US — Guo said Beijing hoped Washington would provide a fair business environment for Chinese companies.
He also criticized Trump’s order to reinstate Cuba on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, days after Biden removed the island nation from the register.
China and Cuba are longtime allies, and Beijing has consistently opposed Washington’s decades-long economic blockade of Havana.
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Guo said Cuba’s re-addition to the list “fully reveals the high-handed, hegemonic and bullying face of the United States”.
“Within days, Cuba was removed from so-called list, then reinstated, as if it were a trivial matter”, Guo said, noting that the move raised questions about Washington’s “credibility”.
China also vowed to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the US to withdraw from the body, which he has slammed over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
