Calling the U.S. a "destroyer of the multilateral trading system," the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the country to abide by the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and safeguard the trading system's authority.

The review of the U.S. trade policies at the WTO took place on Wednesday in Geneva, where members including China, the European Union, Russia and others criticized the U.S. for sticking to the policy of "America First," disregarding multilateral trading rules, practicing unilateralism and disrupting the global industrial chains.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China's Permanent Ambassador to the WTO Li Chenggang has expounded on China's position at the review meeting. "The U.S. is a destroyer of the multilateral trading system, a manipulator with double standards in industrial policies, a troublemaker for the global industrial and supply chains, and a representative of unilateral bullying," he said.

The U.S. calls for fair play but still gives discriminatory subsidies to prop up its own industries to gain competitive advantage, Wang said, adding that its export control measures have deviated far from the track widely recognized by the international community.

The U.S. refuses to execute the rulings on dispute settlement that have already taken effect, continues to impose unilateral and massive tariffs using its domestic laws, especially the so-called Section 301, and provoke disconnection, Wang said.

The spokesperson also said that the U.S. forces other WTO members to abide by its domestic laws by using long-arm jurisdiction.

With various countries refusing the U.S.'s unilateralism and protectionism, Wang said "justice naturally inhabits a man's heart."

(Cover: The headquarters of the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, December 11, 2019. /CFP)