BEIJING—China’s No. 2 leader appealed on Wednesday for support for free trade and promised to improve conditions for foreign companies following tit-for-tat US and Chinese tariff hikes in an escalating battle over Beijing’s technology policy.
Premier Li Keqiang’s comments add to Beijing’s effort to portray itself as a defender of global trade and multilateralism in the face of complaints by Washington and other trading partners about industry policies they say violate its market-opening commitments.
Speaking at a business conference, Li made no direct mention of the dispute but appealed to governments to resolve disputes through negotiation and reject unilateralism.
“It is essential that we uphold the basic principles of multilateralism and free trade,” the premier said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in the eastern city of Tianjin.
Disputes “need to be worked out through consultation,” Li said. “No unilateralism will offer a viable solution.”
China announced a tariff hike of $60 billion on American imports on Tuesday in response to US President Donald J. Trump’s increase on $200 billion of Chinese goods.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes