China latest2 Jun 2019 07:08
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China Strikes Defiant Stance on Trade Against Trump
Wang Shouwen, the Chinese vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, in Beijing on Sunday. The Trump administration’s latest efforts to ramp up pressure on China “show very clearly who should take responsibility” for the current state of trade relations, he said.
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Wu Hong/EPA, via Shutterstock
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Wang Shouwen, the Chinese vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, in Beijing on Sunday. The Trump administration’s latest efforts to ramp up pressure on China “show very clearly who should take responsibility” for the current state of trade relations, he said.CreditCreditWu Hong/EPA, via Shutterstock
By Alexandra Stevenson
June 2, 2019
BEIJING — China struck a defiant stance on Sunday in response to President Trump’s growing pressure on trade, blaming the United States for a breakdown in negotiations and saying it must withdraw its latest round of tariffs before a deal can be reached.
In a white paper released Sunday morning, Chinese officials showed little indication that they would back down, sending a signal that confrontation is the government’s formal approach to its trade dispute with Washington. The white paper came less than two days after the Chinese government threatened to put American companies and individuals on a blacklist if they stopped supplying their Chinese partners, without citing specifics.
“China will never give in on major issues of principle,” the white paper said. “China isn’t willing to fight a trade war, but it isn’t afraid to fight and will fight if necessary. That attitude has not changed.”