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Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with representatives of EU and Malaysia - the rotating chair of ASEAN - via video, respectively. They had an in-depth and candid exchange of views on strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation and responding to the so-called reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday in statements.
During the commerce minister's meeting with the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday, China and the EU agree to promptly initiate consultations to thoroughly discuss market access-related issues, create a more favorable business environment for enterprises, and immediately commence negotiations on price commitments for EVs, as well as explore investment cooperation in the China-EU automotive industry, according to MOFCOM.
Both parties supported the resumption of the China-EU trade remedies dialogue mechanism to address trade diversion issues and properly handle trade frictions. They also expressed their commitment to strengthening communication within the WTO framework, jointly advancing WTO reform, and upholding the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Wang noted the positive signals from Chinese Premier Li Qiang's phone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday.
In his talks with Sefcovic, Wang expressed China's willingness to work with the EU in implementing leaders' consensus, enhancing dialogue, and deepening trade, investment, and industrial collaboration.
Wang pointed out that the US' so-called reciprocal tariffs severely infringe upon the legitimate interests of all nations, blatantly violate WTO rules, seriously undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, and destabilize the global economic order.
"Such actions are a typical manifestation of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. China firmly opposes this and has taken countermeasures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," said Wang.
Wang warned that the latest US threat of 50 percent additional tariffs on China would only exacerbate tensions. "Trade wars have no winners, and protectionism leads nowhere."
Wang reiterated China's readiness for negotiations but China's response will continue to the end if the US goes ahead.
Wang stressed that under the current circumstances, China and Europe jointly upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system and adhering to trade liberalization and facilitation will inject greater stability and certainty into the world economy and global trade.
Sefcovic stated that the US tariff hikes have severely disrupted international trade, significantly impacting Europe, China, and vulnerable nations. While the US accounts for only 13 percent of global merchandise trade, the EU is willing to work with China and other WTO members to safeguard the normal functioning of global trade, according to MOFCOM.
The EU values its economic and trade relations with China and stands ready to enhance dialogue and communication with the Chinese side to expand two-way market access, investment, and industrial cooperation, said Sefcovic.
On Monday, Sefcovic said that the EU is prepared to deploy "every tool" to shield itself from the impact of US tariffs if negotiations fail, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
On Wednesday, Chinese Minister of Commerce held a video call with Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia (MITI), the ASEAN rotating chair in 2025, during which the two sides had an in-depth and candid exchange of views on enhancing China-Malaysia and China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation and jointly responding to the so-called reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US.
Zafrul said that the MITI has already stated that the US government's policies are inconsistent with the principles of free and fair trade as stipulated by the WTO.
Malaysia fully respects China's position and stands ready to jointly uphold multilateralism and global trade development. It will engage in consultations with ASEAN members to collectively address the US "reciprocal tariffs" measures, said Zafrul, according to the MOFCOM' statement.
Malaysia will implement strong measures to mitigate the impact of the US tariffs imposed on Malaysia, Zafrul said on Monday, according to Xinhua.
Wang, during the talk with Zafrul, again expressed China's strong opposition to US tariffs and that China's response will continue to the end.
"The so-called reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US completely disregard the balanced outcomes achieved through years of multilateral trade negotiations and turn a blind eye to the fact that the US has long reaped enormous benefits from international trade. These measures severely undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all parties, including China and ASEAN countries, representing a typical act of unilateral bullying," said Wang.
Such US actions not only harm America's own interests but also endanger global economic development and the stability of industrial and supply chains, dealing a severe blow to the international trading system, Wang stressed.
The Commerce Minister stated that China stands ready to work with its trading partners, including ASEAN members, to enhance communication and coordination. Based on mutual respect, China will address respective concerns through equal dialogue and consultations, jointly upholding the multilateral trading system.
Global Times
