Editor's Note: The article is based on an interview with Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. The article reflects the expert's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

The Chinese government published a white paper on Monday to clarify facts about China-US economic and trade relations, elaborate its stance on the trade spats with the US, and propose reasonable solutions to the issue.

Washington's trade fight against Beijing has grabbed the headlines for some time. To make matters worse, Donald Trump's new tariffs on 200 billion US dollars of Chinese imports take effect on Monday, ratcheting up the ongoing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Beijing-Washington trade ties serve as the ballast and propeller of the overall bilateral relationship, according to the white paper. While Beijing has been trying to promote its ties with Washington, voices calling for tougher trade measures against China have been frequently heard in the White House.

Since assuming office, Trump has been holding high the banner of "Make America Great Again," and reviving the country's traditional manufacturing is an important purpose of his stick approach to China's trade issue, according to Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. 

He added that the president regards his tough trade tactics as a weapon to gain an edge over other countries' manufacturing development.

To Trump's disappointment, the trade fight initially launched to maximize US interests, boomeranged. The country's quintessential brand, Harley-Davidson, announced its intention to shift some of its production overseas in June to avoid retaliatory tariffs from the EU. Other world-renowned firms, for instance, BMW and Whirlpool, also complained about the trade war.

Zhou noted that containing China's rise is another consideration of the White House threat of a trade war. "China's rapid growth, especially in innovative industry, astounds the world, and this has raised anxieties of the Donald Trump administration ...," Zhou said. 

Despite China's repeated claims that it has no intention of challenging Washington's status as the superpower in the world, Trump is adept at exaggerating the "China threat" theory.

The White House has been accusing China of stealing intellectual property, allegations that China has rejected as absurd. 

Zhou claimed that China respects and firmly protects intellectual property, which is the locomotive for a country's economic growth. China will continue to enhance its mechanism building and law enforcement to protect intellectual property and impose stricter punishments on any breaches. The Chinese government is also willing to cooperate with other countries on the issue.

As a responsible power, Washington should recognize the Chinese government's efforts and collaborate with Beijing in this regard. While Beijing has been and will still stick to the principle of resolving disputes via dialogue and consultation, Washington's intensifying pressure on Beijing is part of protectionism, which runs contrary to globalization and economic integration, Zhou noted.

He continued that Trump's protectionist practices will only upset the global supply chain and exert negative effects on all countries involved in the chain, increasing the burden on employment and finance. This is definitely not what "American workers deserve."

The Trump administration, according to the white paper, abandoned the fundamental norms of mutual respect and equal consultation that guide international relations, and "brazenly preached unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony, making false accusations against many countries and regions, particularly China, intimidating other countries through economic measures such as imposing tariffs, and attempting to impose its own interests on China through extreme pressure."

In face of Washington's repeated provocations, Zhou said Beijing will respond with composure. It will continue to deepen its reform and opening up, and create more favorable conditions for the market to play its role in the distribution of resources. 

In the meantime, China is perseverant in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between developed and developing countries. It will put more efforts in pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as other win-win proposals, for a shared future of the world.

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