China asks WTO to intervene to stop US trade war

China has requested the World Trade Organization (WTO) to intervene in a trade dispute between Beijing and Washington, the organization has announced.

US President Donald Trump last month ordered his administration to introduce new tariffs on imports from other countries, including China.

The heavy tariffs, which were met with an international outcry, triggered a trade war with the world’s second-biggest economy, China.

Following a row of tit-for-tat tariff introductions by Washington and Beijing, China’s representative to the WTO requested that the organization set up dispute consultations over the US tariffs slapped on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum products.

According to a WTO document published on Tuesday, China has requested “consultations” with the US over Washington’s decision to impose “additional ad valorem rate of duty on imports of certain steel and aluminum products.”

WTO stated that the complaint had been filed on April 5.

Earlier, the US had filed a complaint against China, requesting consultations for what it said were violations of the WTO’s rules on patent rights and licensing.

Chinese officials have repeatedly warned against a trade war with the US but have said they are prepared for one.

The request for consultation is seen as a step toward resolving the dispute and avoiding more tensions.

President Trump, however, has welcomed a trade war with other nations, claiming such a war would be “easy to win.”

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned that Trump’s protectionist policies would lead to backwardness in the US.

EA