China on US 'Forced Labor Tariffs': 'Tariff War Benefits No One'

▲ US President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (right)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its principled opposition on the 24th (local time) to the so-called "forced labor tariffs" imposed by the United States on major trading partners including South Korea and China, stating that "tariff wars and trade wars benefit no one."

During a regular briefing on the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian responded to a question about the US additional tariff measures by saying, "China's position on US-China economic and trade issues is consistent and clear," and adding, "We oppose unilateral tariff measures of any kind."

"Tariff wars and trade wars benefit no one," he emphasized.

This reiterated China's previous stance on the US additional tariff measures, without mentioning any specific countermeasures.

Earlier, the Trump administration imposed 10% to 12.5% "forced labor tariffs" on 60 economies, including South Korea and China, on the 23rd (local time) based on Section 301 of the Trade Act.

Spokesperson Lin also did not provide specific confirmation regarding US President Donald Trump's remarks about Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States on September 24 and discussions on artificial intelligence (AI).

"Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations," he said, adding, "China hopes to work with the US to faithfully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in the field of AI."

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