By Francis Kobena Tandoh
China is opposed to the tariff policy recently imposed by the United States (U.S.) government targeting over 180 countries worldwide, H. E. Tong Defa, Chinese ambassador to Ghana, said late Wednesday in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.
Addressing journalists and think tank groups regarding the position of the Chinese government on the U.S. tariff policy, he observed that the Asian country believes that development is an inalienable right of all countries, and as such, international affairs should be consultative and decided by all.
According to him, the American government is using such a policy to exert maximum pressure for its selfish interest, an action the Chinese government, he stressed, will not countenance.
“Tariffs on China are among the highest; now it is 145%, so China’s position is very clear. The Chinese government strongly condemns and resolutely opposes such a move. By taking such action, the United States defies the fundamental rules of economics and market principles, disregards the various outcomes achieved through multilateral trade negotiations, and ignores the fact that it does not benefit substantially from international trade,” H. E. Tong.
The Chinese ambassador emphasized that the action by the U. S. government is an attempt to use tariffs to exert maximum pressure for selfish interests.
“This is a typical act of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying under the guise of reciprocity and fairness. The United States is playing a zero-sum game to pursue in excess of “American First” and “American Exceptionalism,” he added.
He, however, warned that the attempt by the Trump administration to exploit tariffs to subvert the existing international economic trade order and work against the legitimate interests of all countries will inadvertently face worldwide opposition from the international community.
Ambassador Tong further stated that China is determined to fight to the end and expressed optimism that other countries globally will join the Asian country to fight “this unfair and unjust practice by the United States.”
Former Ghana’s Ambassador to China, H.E. Anani Demuyakor, highlighted the enormous economic and industrial development benefits that Ghana has received as a result of its friendship with the People’s Republic of China.
He emphasized that China is always faithful and ready to share its development and prosperity with its friends and urged Ghana and Africa to always consider their interests before deciding on whom to choose as friends.
“The Chinese are faithful to their friends; they have donated various projects to Ghana for free as well as assisted us in critical infrastructural development, while the same cannot be said about our association with the West. We must be forthright with our decision in the tariff war regime by considering our interest first and also identifying who our real friends are,” Amb. Demuyakor said.
U.S. President Donald Trump, upon return to the White House, has enacted a series of steep protective tariffs affecting nearly all goods imported into the United States.
Between January and April this year, the average effective U.S. tariff rose from 2.5% to an estimated 27% – the highest level in over a century.
Trump escalated an ongoing trade war with China, raising baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. In retaliation, China imposed a minimum 125% tariff on U.S. goods and restricted exports of rare earths critical to high-tech industries. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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