BEIJING: China’s Prime Minister Li Qiang on Tuesday warned United States (US) officials that moves to “politicize” trade matters would prove “disastrous” for the world economy, Chinese state media reported.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is currently on a four-day official visit to China to better manage tensions between the two largest economies of the world.
But a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang saw the top US official lay into Washington trade curbs against Beijing, which the US insists are crucial for its national security which China sees as an attempt to clip its economic growth.
“Politicizing trade and economic issues and overloading the concept of security will negatively affect bilateral ties and mutual trust,” he told the US Commerce Secretary, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported.
The US “also undermines the interests of people and enterprises of the two countries, and will have disastrous effects on the global economy”, the Chinese premier added.
Strain Relations Between China and US
Relations between the US and China have plummeted to their lowest levels in decades, with Washington trade curbs near the top of the list of disagreements.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo called for Beijing and Washington to work together to solve matters of global concern.
Raimondo’s visit to China is the latest by a US official in recent months as the United States seeks to defuse tensions with the world’s second-largest economy.
Pointing to areas of global concern such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), climate change, and fentanyl addiction, she told Li that the US wanted to work with China as two global powers to do what is right for all of humanity. She said the world expected both powers to step up together to solve these issues.
Relations between the US and China have soured over multiple problems including technology, human rights, and Beijing’s crackdown in the former British colony of Hong Kong.
However, both are trying to mend their difference as several high officials on both sides have recently exchanged visits to discuss the thorny issues.
