Washington's claims to champion free trade don't hold water

Editor's note: Some politicians in the United States condemn unfair economic practices and say they want to break down market barriers, but in fact, it is the policies and practices of the US that have become the biggest obstacle to the market economy. Zhong Sheng, a columnist for People's Daily, comments:

In the name of national security, the US government has added Chinese high-tech enterprises to its list of sanctioned entities. The enterprises or individuals on the list need to obtain relevant licenses to purchase or receive transfers of US technologies. Is targeting other countries' enterprises with state power in this way the "market economy" and "free competition" US politicians trumpet?

The US has got accustomed to presenting itself as a champion of the market economy, and pointing accusing fingers at other countries' development models. Yet it upholds international rules only when they are to its advantage and ignores them when they are to its disadvantage.