Talks still best way to settle trade disputes

The white paper on the trade frictions with the US testifies to China's sincerity in resolving the disputes through dialogue and its firm opposition to trade bullying, which Washington must give serious thought to if it wants to maintain healthy trade and economic relations with Beijing.

But not content with US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods - which prompted China to respond with tariffs on $60 billion of US products - taking effect on Monday, the Donald Trump administration has threatened to take more measures to force China to accept its demands. Which means the trade disputes between the world's two largest economies could further escalate, if the two sides cannot find a way to break the deadlock. And the trade conflicts, if they escalate, will jeopardize interests on both sides, whose repercussions will be felt by rest of the world.

China and the US, as the white paper says, have made strenuous efforts over the past four decades to maintain largely sound economic ties to the benefit of both sides.