Tariff war 'US bid to get others to cure own disease'

RTHK

20-05-2025

Tariff war 'US bid to get others to cure own disease'
A former Chinese diplomat, Wu Hailong, says attempts to address so-called unfair trade through a tariff war have proven to be unworkable. Photo: RTHK
A former Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday the United States will have to learn to deal with a rising China by showing due respect and equality.
Speaking on the second day of the annual Global Prosperity Summit in Hong Kong, Wu Hailong said Washington has deployed an array of suppression and containment strategies to stall China's development over the past decade.
But Wu, who used to be deputy head of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, pointed out that China's rise is an indisputable fact and stressed that any efforts to smear or hinder the nation's progress would be made in vain.
Wu, now the president of China Public Diplomacy Association, said Washington's problems lie with itself but it refuses to seek solutions to cure its own 'disease'.
'Imagine someone who refuses medication but insists on others swallowing pills to cure his disease," he said.
"Such is the logic of the tariff war recently launched by the United States on the whole world.'
'It is true that China has maintained a trade surplus with the United States over the years... [But] that is a matter of consumer choice and market dynamics, not deliberate manipulation on the part of China.'
He stressed that attempts to address the so-called unfair trade through a tariff war have proven to be unworkable.
'A few days ago, at the US side's request, China and the US held talks on the tariff issues in Geneva and reached a consensus," Wu said.
"This proves once again that blackmail and threats will not work.
"The only way out is sitting down together for candid talks on the basis of respect and equality.'
Summit co-founder Regina Ip expressed gratitude to speakers from around the globe for coming to Hong Kong to share their insights.
'The Global Prosperity Summit is a joint effort by the government, think tanks and chambers of commerce to tell the true story of Hong Kong and help the world recognize the unique role Hong Kong can play in bridging divides and reducing differences,' said Ip, who is also the Executive Council's convener.
The summit, now in its second edition, features five major topics: artificial intelligence, climate change, trade war and hot wars, Hong Kong's bridging role in a changing world, as well as space development.