China urges U.S. companies topushtoscuttletariffwar
BEIJING — China tried to step up pressure on Washington in their growing tariff war Thursday by suggesting U.S. companies lobby American leaders, while a Korean union warned that President Donald Trump’s threat of higher auto import duties could lead to job losses in Alabama.
Beijing and Washington have yet to resume negotiations over the dispute that led to tariff hikes on each other’s goods last week, said a spokesman for the Chinese Commerce Ministry.
“We hope American companies do more to lobby the U.S. government and work hard to safeguard their own interests,” said Gao Feng at a news conference.
While some U.S. companies and lawmakers have criticized Trump’s tactics, Gao’s statement was an unusually direct attempt to rouse domestic American opposition. Beijing frequently rejects foreign comments about its own policies.
Gao’s remark about lobbying was missing from an official transcript on the ministry’s website, suggesting officials recognized its potential sensitivity.
The Trump administration imposed a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion of Chinese goods last week in response to complaints that Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. Beijing responded by imposing similar duties on the same amount of imports from the United States.
Washington announced a second possible round of tariff hikes Tuesday targeting a wider range of $200 billion of goods. Beijing vowed “firm and forceful measures” in response, but China’s lopsided trade balance means it cannot match the full scale of American tariff hikes.
In a separate statement, the Commerce Ministry tried anew to rally support from other governments, warning that Trump was threatening world trade and prosperity.
Governments including Germany and France have resisted Chinese appeals. They have criticized Trump’s tactics but share American complaints about Beijing’s market barriers and industrial policy.