Recently, under the banner of “America First”, the United States has imposed unjustified tariffs on all trading partners including China, triggering severe shocks to the economy of all countries, significant turmoil in global financial markets, widespread international condemnation, and domestic chaos.
This is a typical move of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying, which severely hurts the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, violates the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, sabotages the rules-based multilateral trading system, and destabilizes the global economic order.
The Chinese government strongly deplores and firmly rejects this. The international community cannot stand idly by and the wheels of history must not be reversed.
The United States is not a victim, but a beneficiary of global trade. The United States’ imposition of tariffs based on its “chronic goods trade deficit” is unjustified, as this rationale selectively ignores its dominant advantages in services trade.
As noted by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, America maintains services trade surpluses with most major economies, reaching nearly $300 billion in 2024.
More crucially, the U.S. holds near-monopoly power in high-value-added services: Annual intellectual property royalties exceed $144 billion, dwarfing other nations. Any claim that “America Loses” based solely on merchandise trade deficits remains fundamentally untenable.
The United States’ reckless imposition of tariffs harms both its own and other countries’ interests. By unilaterally levying “Reciprocal Tariffs” outside the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, the U.S. has undermined decades of multilateral trade-building efforts since World War II.
This protectionist move has caused significant damage to multilateral trade rules, further fragmented the global economy, disrupted industrial and supply chains, dampened international confidence in advancing economic globalization, and set a negative precedent.
At the same time, the policy triggered immediate consequences: U.S. stock markets plunged the day after the tariffs were announced, wiping out $5 trillion in market value in 48 hours. Yale University predicts that a widespread 20 percent tariff could cost the average American family up to $4,200 a year and add $433 billion in extra costs to US businesses.
History and reality have proven that raising tariffs cannot solve America’s inherent problems.
China steadfastly upholds true multilateralism and resolutely safeguards the multilateral trading system. China firmly believes that development is an inalienable right of all countries, not the exclusive privilege of a few.
In recent years, China has actively leveraged green channels for African exports to its market, hosted various trade expos, and supported more eligible high-quality specialty products from the least developed countries to enter the Chinese market.
Through initiatives like skills training programs and support for cross-border e-commerce enterprises, China has helped strengthen trade capacity building in partner countries.
These efforts have opened new doors of opportunity for developing countries, enabling broader participation in inclusive and equitable economic globalization. Since the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China has granted zero-tariff treatment to all least developed countries, including Liberia, that have established diplomatic relations with China.
In the fourth quarter of last year, Liberia exported $6.52 millions of rubber and related products to China, up more than 29 times year-on-year. China has extended invitations to Liberian businesses and enterprises to actively participate in major exhibitions such as the Shanghai Import Expo, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, and the Canton Fair.
These platforms aim to enhance the recognition and influence of Liberian brands and broaden sales channels. At the same time, we are actively aligning our efforts with Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), facilitating investments by Chinese enterprises in Liberia.
This enables more Liberian-origin goods to benefit from policy incentives, thereby expanding Liberia’s exports and driving its socio-economic development.
China resolutely opposes tariff wars and trade wars. Tariff and trade wars have no winner. Protectionism is a dead end. China does not want to fight these wars but is not scared of them.
In response to the U.S. government’s unilateral provocations, China has enacted a series of firm and proportionate countermeasures. China is an honest and rightful major country, as well as a responsible member of the international community.
China stands up to oppose hegemonism, not only to safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests, but also to protect the common interests of the international community.
We will never sit idly by while the legitimate rights of the Chinese people are undermined, and the international trade rules and multilateral trading system are eroded. China is willing to work with all parties to jointly safeguard the WTO-centered multilateral trade system and defend international fairness and justice.
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As the second largest economy and second largest market for consumer goods, China is committed to opening ever wider to the world, no matter how the international situation changes. We will continue to advance high-standard opening up. We will steadily expand institutional opening up in rules, regulations, management, and standards.
We will implement high-standard policies for trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. We will foster a first-class market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment.
All countries, including Liberia, are welcome to ride on the express train of China’s development and share opportunities from China’s mega market.
We are confident that openness and cooperation are a historical trend. The world will not, and should not, return to mutual isolation or fragmentation.
We are confident that the vast majority of countries, committed to fairness and justice, will stand on the right side of history and act in their best interests.
We are confident that the world must embrace fairness and reject hegemonism. After the storm, clear skies shall prevail. China will certainly join the international community in forging a bright future of mutually beneficial cooperation!
Read the original article on Liberian Observer.
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