Experts oppose US unilateralism

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea - World experts criticized the United States for unilateralism and nationalism, calling for cooperation and collaboration among regional countries.

"In the United States, President Trump is to this day the inglorious proponent of the 'my country first' policy," said Heinz Fischer, former Austrian president, at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity. The three-day conference in the South Korean resort island of Jeju ended on Friday.

He noted that the Trump administration was "antagonistic to the lessons" Europe had learned in the past, saying the future "lies on collaboration, not confrontation".

The biennial Jeju forum, held under the theme of "Asia Towards Resilient Peace: Cooperation and Integration", was attended by about 5,500 experts from around 70 countries this year.

Fischer warned of growing "nationalistic tendencies", and recalled the beginning of the 20th century when the "destructive powers of selfish nationalism" got stronger in Europe and led to devastating wars.

"The decision of President Trump to withdraw from the INF(Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty), from the Paris climate agreement and from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran is the opposite of wise decisions because it is destroying trust in international agreements," said Fischer.

He stressed that only in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect for the "generally accepted international treaty regime" could the global community succeed in finding necessary balanced solutions to varying interests.

On the US-initiated trade tensions with China, Martin Jacques, a senior fellow with Cambridge University, said at the forum that in the long run, "both economies, of course, will suffer".

The Trump administration early in May dialed up the additional tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent, and threatened to levy duties of 25 percent on about $300 billion worth of Chinese products yet to be hit.

However, the British expert expressed more confidence in China's growing ability to sustain the US tariff attacks given the innovative growth of China, and its economic and cultural powers.

"Apart from its (China's) far superior growth rate, its standout economic achievement over the last decade has been its sharply rising capacity for innovation," Jacques said.

"Tariffs and a growing willingness to cut itself off from the dynamism of the Chinese economy will make the US economy increasingly less competitive," he said.

Xinhua

(China Daily 06/03/2019 page12)