Use of G20 to amplify rhetoric slammed

China has pushed back against attempts to use the Group of 20 as a platform to amplify concerns over alleged "economic imbalances" and "overcapacity", warning that such rhetoric could fuel protectionism and further disrupt global trade, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

In response to a question about recent comments by United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on China's trade, the ministry voiced strong opposition to attempts to use multilateral platforms, such as the G20, to air such claims.

Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, Huang Ling, a spokeswoman for the ministry, said that such rhetoric is essentially a cover for protectionism and an excuse to put pressure on and restrain China.

"This will only disrupt global trade and the economic order, undermining the sound development of the world economy," she added.

The spokeswoman called on all countries to uphold multilateralism, enhance policy communication and coordination, expand openness and cooperation, and jointly keep global industrial and supply chains stable and smooth to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes.

Zhao Minghao, a professor and deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that Washington's increasingly transactional approach to international affairs is spilling over into global economic governance, turning multilateral platforms into arenas for strategic competition rather than mechanisms for promoting cooperation.

This tendency is also reflected in US economic policy, Zhao said, as Washington increasingly relies on tariffs, industrial policy and other government tools to strengthen domestic industries and reduce its economic reliance on China.

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said that unilateral restrictions distort market-based resource allocation, aggravate trade imbalances and disrupt global supply chains. Zhou said that China is prepared to address legitimate trade concerns, but that attempts to shift blame would not resolve the underlying problems.

Despite ongoing trade frictions, Raj Subramaniam, president and CEO of US logistics company FedEx Corp, said that there are many opportunities for trade between the US and China.

Subramaniam, who is also chair emeritus of the US-China Business Council, said that global trade is entering an era of "re-globalization", with supply chains being rewired to become more resilient and diverse.

Regarding US sanctions, the Ministry of Commerce urged the US to reverse its actions and lift the sanctions imposed on the Chinese companies and individuals concerned. The ministry issued a ban in May prohibiting any recognition, enforcement or compliance with US sanctions imposed on five Chinese companies on the grounds of their alleged involvement in Iranian petroleum transactions.

China-EU trade ties

China also called on the European Union on Thursday to address trade differences through dialogue on an equal footing, warning against unilateral demands, conditions or threats to restrict market access.

The comments came after European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic reportedly said that the EU would consider deploying its full range of trade defense instruments and restricting market access if talks with China fail to produce concrete results.