Beijing rejects forced labor claims, slams US tariff plans

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Wednesday firmly rejected allegations of forced labor in the world's second-largest economy and criticized Washington's proposal to impose additional tariffs on imports from dozens of economies, including the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. Speaking at a regular press briefing in the capital, Mao dismissed the accusations as fabricated pretexts designed to facilitate political manipulation and unilateral trade restrictions.

Trade war warnings

“We oppose making up pretexts for laying tariffs; we oppose this as a pretext for political manipulation,” Mao told reporters, emphasizing that Beijing consistently rejects all forms of unilateral tariff measures. She added that trade and tariff wars serve no one's interest and that economic disputes should be resolved through dialogue on the basis of equality and reciprocity. The comments came in response to questions about the Trump administration's plan to impose additional tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on goods from at least 60 economies.

Trans-Pacific trade context

The United States and China — the world's two largest economies with gross domestic products of approximately $32 trillion and $20.8 trillion respectively — engaged in tit-for-tat tariff measures last year before announcing a truce. They have since agreed to lower levies on specific goods in an effort to stabilize ties, though mutual trade in goods and services declined to around $414 billion. Washington alleges that forced labor in production chains justifies the new tariff proposals targeting Beijing.

EU market principles

Separately, Mao called on the European Union to adhere to fundamental market economy principles and avoid adopting protectionist measures. Responding to questions regarding reported EU plans to reduce reliance on US and Asian technologies while promoting homegrown digital alternatives, she stated that the essence of China-EU economic relations remains mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. China is closely monitoring relevant developments on the EU side, she noted.