China appeals to WTO over latest US tariffs

China on Monday filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the United States over tariffs Washington has imposed on US$300 billion worth of Chinese goods, a spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, firmly defend the multilateral trading system and international trade order in accordance with relevant WTO rules, read the statement.

A fresh wave of tariffs was imposed on a portion of US$300 billion worth of Chinese goods to the US on Sunday.

The latest tariffs actions violated the consensus reached by leaders of China and the US in a meeting in Osaka, the commerce ministry said in the statement.

China will firmly defend its legal rights in accordance with WTO rules, it said.

China has been a practicer of international rule of law, and its stance on trade war shows the country’s willingness and determination to uphold the basic norms of international law as well as the multilateral trade system, law experts said.

It has stuck to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism since it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, which contributed to the rule of law in global trade, said experts attending a recent symposium held by Wuhan University.

China has strictly followed the WTO’s rules on investment, said Qi Tong, professor with Wuhan University’s Institute of International Law. China had revised its major laws on foreign investment prior to its WTO entry and has continuously relaxed market access to fulfill its commitments on opening-up in service trade, he said.

More recently, the country’s unified Foreign Investment Law, which will take effect on January 1, 2020, will improve China’s legal environment for foreign investment to a globally advanced level, Qi said.

Nie Jianqiang, another professor with the institute, said in efforts to implement the WTO’s intellectual property agreement TRIPS, China has amended its laws on patent, trademark, copyright and other IP rights and has set up specialized IP courts and tribunals.

Allegations of China’s theft of intellectual property and forced technology transfer are only based on one-sided testimonies of certain companies and individuals and lack convincing evidence, Nie said.

“China’s scientific and technological progress is the result of its long-term focus on science and education and its strategy of innovation-driven development. It is also credited to the hardworking Chinese people, especially scientific and technological workers,” Nie said.

US Section 301 measures against China are based on its domestic law, said Xiao Yongping, head of the institution, adding they violated both WTO rules and international law in general. These measures are typical tools of US unilateralism and protectionism. They will not only have a huge impact on China-US trade, but also threaten global economic development, he said.