China says it won’t start a trade war

In response to tariffs, official vows to protect interests.

BEIJING — China said Sunday that it would not initiate a trade war with the United

States, but vowed to defend its national interests in the face of growing American protectionism.

“There are no winners in a trade war, and it would bring disaster to our two countries as well as the rest of the world,” Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said at a briefing on the sidelines of China’sannual parliamen- tary session.

“China does not wish to fight a trade war, nor will China initiate a trade war, but we can handle any challenge and will resolutely defend the interests of our country and our people,” he said.

ment U.S. cooperation,” It was economic on Beijing’s “problems alluding latest trade in state- Sino- and to President plan to impose Donald heavy Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and alumi- num. Trump said Thursday that he was slapping tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum, temporarily exempt- ing big steel producers Canada and Mexico.

threatened Chi n ese leaders in the past have to retaliate against raised trade barriers.

Citing Chinese research- ers, Zhong said the U.S. has been overstating its trade defi- cit with China by about 20 percent every year. He gave no details on how this figure was reached, but the U.S. and Chinese governments gener- ally report widely differing trade figures because Beijing counts only the first port to which their final goods destination. go instead of The U.S. reported a $375 billion deficit with China last year, so a 20 percent reduction would still be among the largest trade gaps that it has with any country. Zhong blamed the trade imbalance in part on controls over U.S. high-tech exports to China, repeating a Chinese claim that Washington could narrow its trade deficit if it allowed Beijing to buy more “dual use” technology such as supercomputers and advanced materials with military applications. U.S. officials have said such sales would make up only a small cit American earlier iffs The while on percentage Trump Chinese-made approved possibly national administration threatening higher of security. the wash- defi- taring goods, accuse machines Washington prompting and some of Beijing disrupt- other to ing by taking global action trade under regulation U.S. law instead of through the World Trade Organization. Zhong said that Beijing would continue to “relax market access” to China, and that it would also attach greater importance to intellectual property rights, another point of tension with the U.S.

LI XIN / XINHUA Chinese Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said the U.S. has overstated its trade deficit with China.