The Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, has called on Washington to seek a common ground with Beijing and strive for peaceful coexistence, while also warning that China is ready to take retaliatory measures if the trade war escalates. At a public event in Washington on Saturday, details of which were published on the website of the Chinese embassy, Xie said that tariffs would destroy the world economy and drew a parallel between the Great Depression and the 1930s tariffs imposed by the United States. Referring to concepts of traditional Chinese medicine, such as the need to balance opposing forces of Yin and Yang, Xie said that harmony should guide the relationships between the world’s two largest economies. “A good recipe of traditional Chinese medicine usually combines many different ingredients that enhance each other and achieve the best medical effect” he said. “Similarly, the earth is big enough to accommodate both China and the United States. We should strive for peaceful coexistence instead of frontal confrontation and help each other to succeed instead of getting trapped in a lose-lose scenario.” The trade war has brought the massive exchange of goods and other items between the world’s two largest economies to a near standstill with tariffs of over 100 percent in both directions and a series of trade, investment and cultural restrictions. The Chinese leading shipbuilding association criticized on Saturday a plan by the United States to impose port fees on ships with China connections. While Japan, Taiwan and other countries are already holding talks with Washington on the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on “the day of liberation” or preparing for negotiations, no high-level dialogue with China is currently planned. Trump emphasized on Friday that the United States was having “good private conversations” with China amid the trade war between the two countries. “We are actually having very good conversations with China” he said to reporters at the White House. “It’s really very good.” He did not provide further details. China has stated that the United States should show respect before any talks can take place.
China’s Ambassador Warns Trade War Could Trigger Global Economic Collapse
