By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
Economic and trade relations between China and the United States remain a focal point of international attention. The U.S. has repeatedly threatened to impose additional tariffs in an attempt to coerce China, an approach that has consistently proved counterproductive.
China, acting in accordance with its domestic laws and regulations, has continued to refine its export control system, which is a legitimate exercise of sovereign rights. The U.S. should adopt a rational and pragmatic stance, work in the same direction with China, and jointly safeguard the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
Since the China-U.S. talks in Madrid, the U.S. has introduced a series of restrictive measures against China. It has put multiple Chinese entities to the Entity List and Specially Designated Nationals List, arbitrarily expanded the scope of control over businesses with the Affiliates Rule that affects thousands of Chinese companies, and persisted with the implementation of Section 301 measures targeting China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries in disregard of China’s concerns and goodwill.
Such moves have seriously undermined China’s interests, damaged the atmosphere for bilateral economic and trade consultations, disrupted international trade rules, and destabilized global industrial and supply chains. They have also had a chilling effect on bilateral economic relations and the broader global economy.
The U.S. criticism of China’s export control measures on rare earths and related items exemplifies a double standard. As a responsible major country, China seeks to balance national security with international common security. Amid an increasingly volatile international landscape and recurring military conflicts, and considering the potential use of medium and heavy rare earth materials in weapons of mass destruction and other sensitive fields, China’s export controls on these items aim to better safeguard world peace and regional stability while fulfilling its international non-proliferation obligations.
It must be emphasized that these measures are regulatory in nature and do not constitute a ban. China will continue to approve regulatory-compliant applications and is committed to working with other nations to maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
In stark contrast, the U.S. has long overstretched the concept of national security and abused export control measures, imposing discriminatory restrictions against China and arbitrarily exercising long-arm jurisdiction on products ranging from semiconductor equipment to chips.
While China’s export control list covers just over 900 items, the U.S. list covers more than 3,000. As China lawfully improves its export control system, the U.S. continues to rely on coercion through tariff threats and export control measures, triggering market turbulence and undermining global economic stability.
In the face of unreasonable suppression and threats, China maintains a consistent and clear stance: if the U.S. wants a fight, China will fight till the end; if the U.S. wants to talk, China will keep the door open.
Coercion or forming cliques and exerting pressure on China are counterproductive and misguided. China possesses sufficient tools and capabilities to safeguard its interests and will take necessary countermeasures against actions that undermine them.
China’s responses are not only to defend its legitimate rights and interests, but also to uphold international fairness and justice. China has always adhered to the principle of equality and mutual benefit. In the interest of the international community as a whole, it is committed to promoting mutual trust, reducing misunderstandings, and strengthening cooperation with the U.S. through dialogue and consultation. In doing so, China strives to play its role as a major country in safeguarding the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
Having provoked a series of disruptions, the U.S. now expresses a desire to restore stability. If this intention is truly sincere, the path forward is clear. In the past four rounds of consultations, China and the U.S. reached several important consensuses, which effectively stabilized bilateral economic and trade relations and sent positive signals to global markets. This fully demonstrates that with mutual respect and equal consultation, both sides are fully capable of managing differences and finding solutions. The prerequisite, however, is that the U.S. side must align its actions with its stated commitments. It cannot call for engagement while simultaneously imposing new restrictive measures and threats. Should the U.S. continue on this unilateral path, China will respond with firm countermeasures to protect its legitimate rights and interests.
According to a People’s Daily report titled “An Asia-Pacific of Vitality: Public Opinion Across 16 Countries,” over half of U.S. respondents believe their country is becoming increasingly closed and protectionist – a sentiment far more prevalent than in other nations. About half view U.S. protectionist policies as major barriers to global free trade, and nearly 80 percent hope to see lower tariffs and greater liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. These findings reflect a clear public desire for openness and cooperation.
Maintaining a sound international economic and trade order and ensuring the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains are shared responsibilities of all parties. It is hoped that the U.S. will demonstrate sincerity for dialogue and return to the right track of consultation at an early date. A stable, healthy, and sustainable China-U.S. economic relationship will not only strengthen global supply chains but also bring much-needed certainty and positive momentum to the world economy.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)
