China Vows Unwavering Opening-up Despite US Tariff Bullying: MOFCOM

Nation to create more opportunities for global businesses: expert

By GT staff reporters

Apr 10, 2025 11:55 PM

MOFCOM spokesperson He Yongqian. Photo: VCG

As the world's second-largest economy and the second-largest consumer market, China will remain steadfast in advancing high-level opening-up and following its own development path in the face of US tariff bullying, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said at a press briefing on Thursday. 

Through its stable development, China aims to inject greater certainty into the global economy, MOFCOM spokesperson He Yongqian said, responding to a question about follow-up measures the ministry plans to implement to support foreign trade enterprises in exploring the domestic market.

"Recently, the US has imposed excessive tariffs on all its trading partners, including China, under various pretexts. These actions have severely violated the legitimate rights of Chinese companies and destabilized the global economic order. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes these measures," the spokesperson stressed.

The MOFCOM will continue to promote the integration of domestic and foreign trade. Efforts will be made to create platforms to help companies expand into the domestic market and strengthen support in areas such as market access, channel development, financial services and overall assistance, the spokesperson said.

Despite external pressures such as US tariff hikes, China's door will open even wider, which is very significant under the current international environment, Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Thursday, adding that it reflects China's role as a responsible major economy. 

In the future, through its opening-up, China will create more opportunities and generate positive spillover effects, providing many countries with the chance to benefit from this growth and common development, Bai said.

Highlighting China's commitment opening-up and foreign businesses' strong interest and confidence in the Chinese market, the 137th session of the China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, will be held from April 15 to May 5 in South China's Guangdong Province, with over 170,000 overseas buyers from 210 countries and regions having registered to attend the expo, according to the MOFCOM. 

Meanwhile, 223 companies from the Global Retail 250 ranking, alongside major buyers from various countries and regions, have confirmed their delegations' attendance, a 9.9 percent increase from the last session in October 2024, according to officials. 

As one of China's flagship trade events, the Canton Fair will continue to power the nation's export growth while connecting Chinese manufacturers with worldwide buyers, Zhu Qiucheng, CEO of Ningbo New Oriental Electric Industrial Development, also a Canton Fair participant, told the Global Times.

The Canton Fair has become more than a window for Chinese manufacturers, but also one for global enterprises to match with worldwide buyers.

"This reflects China's commitment to opening-up and multilateralism, which will contribute to global trade, especially under the shadow of US trade protectionism and tariff measures," said Zhu.

In another example, the Global Digital Trade Expo and the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) will be held from April 13 to 18 in South China's Hainan Province, providing another platform for global businesses to access the vast Chinese market.