China will never submit to tariff despotism

The high tariffs the United States administration has imposed on Chinese goods are coercive in nature, run counter to market economy principles, and will have serious repercussions for China-US economic and trade relations. This is the message contained in a white paper released on Wednesday by the State Council Information Office.

In fact the US is going to the extreme to try to bring China to its knees in the trade war it has initiated. The White House said on Tuesday that unless Beijing withdraws the 34 percent tariffs it imposed on US products last week in response to those of the same percentage levied on Chinese imports by the US — which came on top of the 20 percent tariffs the US administration had already imposed earlier this year — it imposed further 50 percent duties on imports from China on Wednesday, bringing the total punitive tariff hike on Chinese goods to 104 percent. In response, Beijing announced it will increase the additional tariff rate on all US imports from 34 percent to 84 percent, starting Thursday, and it has put 18 US companies on trade restriction lists, along with other countermeasures.

But caving in to the US pressure is out of the question for Beijing. It is a core tenet of the country's external work, based on the lessons learned from history, that it should never be deterred by intimidation, swayed by fallacies, or cowed by pressure. Going forward, it knows it will face an even more severe international situation and more complex external environment, and that only by having the courage and ability to overcome difficulties and obstacles can it continue to forge ahead. The country will therefore continue to display its indomitable spirit and make tenacious efforts to open up new horizons for its modernization journey. In the same vein, China also knows that on major issues of right and wrong, it is imperative to uphold principles.