China tells US to stop 'bullying' in trade, rejects accusations

US allegations that China is causing harm to workers and violating trade commitments are inconsistent with international economic and trade rules, the Chinese government has said.

“China's economic achievements in the past 40 years are due to its successful reform and opening-up policy," Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said on Thursday. 

Gao’s remarks come on the heels of a new assessment report released by the US Trade Representative's office on Wednesday, which accused China of “violating, disregarding and circumventing WTO rules to achieve its industrial policy objectives.”

The annual report said the US needed to take new strategies and update its domestic trade tools to deal with China's “state-led, non-market policies and practices.”

Gao hit back. “We believe, as a member of the World Trade Organization, that the US is obliged to abide by WTO rules, instead of creating a new set under the name of pursuing new strategies to practice unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying.”

He said that his government hopes the US would “adopt rational and pragmatic economic and trade policies toward China” and would bring China-US relations back to the right track of stable development.

SS