Trade conflict has ‘no winner’

The overall China-US trade relationship is mutually beneficial and there is no future in any trade war between the two, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday. Hua spoke after reports that the administration of US President Donald Trump will consider an investigation into Chinese trade practices.

“Any trade measures taken by WTO members must conform to rules of the organization,” Hua said at a daily news conference in Beijing, referring to the World Trade Organization.

US media quoted senior officials as saying that Trump was planning on Monday to order his top trade adviser to determine whether to investigate practices that force US firms operating in China to turn over intellectual property.

“China has said many times that China-US trade ties have become increasingly intertwined. There is no future in any trade war. There is no winner. Both will lose,” she said.

China is willing to find appropriate solutions to current differences based on mutual respect, equality and mutual interests, so as to push forward the sound and stable development of the trade relationship, Hua said.

In recent years, China has attached great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights, formulated and improved related laws and regulations, and further cracked down on those who infringe on such rights, Hua said. “The achievements are obvious to all,” she added.

“We hope some people in the US will be true to the facts and take an objective view of China’s efforts in protecting intellectual property rights, as well as the achievements we’ve made through innovationdriven economic development,” she said.