Politics
11:55, 05-Jul-2018
Li and Juncker stress commitment to multilateralism
Updated
11:08, 08-Jul-2018
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that China and the European Union should expand cooperation amid rising unilateralism and protectionism around the world.
Li made the remarks in a telephone conversation with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday, before departing for a five-day trip to Europe from Thursday.
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The United States has withdrawn from multiple multilateral agreements, including the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accord over the past 12 months, and Washington has started imposing trade tariffs on countries around the world.
Li told Juncker that China will work to achieve "pragmatic results" in China-EU bilateral investment treaty negotiations and dealing with climate change to jointly uphold multilateralism, promote liberalization and the facilitation of trade and investment and safeguard the world's peace, stability and development.
Juncker said that the EU believes multilateralism is the way forward. The EU expects to promote multilateralism and free trade together with China during the upcoming 20th EU-China summit.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (C), European Council President Donald Tusk (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker co-chair the 19th China-EU leaders' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, June 2, 2017. /VCG Photo
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (C), European Council President Donald Tusk (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker co-chair the 19th China-EU leaders' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, June 2, 2017. /VCG Photo
Washington placed tariffs on incoming EU steel and aluminum in June, and has said it will implement tariffs on 34 billion US dollars of Chinese imports on July 6.
China's Ministry of Finance stressed on Wednesday evening it would not implement retaliatory tariffs on American goods before the US carries out its tariff threats.
"We will never fire the first shot and will not implement tariffs ahead of the US," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. Chinese tariffs on goods imported from the US will be effective immediately after the US implements its tariff measures on China, China's General Administration of Customs added on Thursday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Wednesday that both China and the EU "believe that we must firmly oppose unilateralism and trade protectionism, promote bilateral trade cooperation with pragmatic measures and jointly uphold rules-based multilateral trading system."
On the upcoming seventh Summit of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries which will take place in Bulgaria, Li noted that China supports the integration of Europe and a united, stable and growing EU. The EU remains open to "16+1 cooperation" which follows EU trade policies, Juncker added.
Li will first travel to Bulgaria for an official visit and the Seventh Summit of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Sofia and then go to Germany for the Fifth round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation and an official visit.