China's Countermeasures Against US Tariff Abuse Aim to Safeguard Interests of Enterprises Including US Enterprises: Vice Commerce Minister

By Global Times

Apr 07, 2025 02:31 PM

A rountable for US-funded enterprises is held by the MOFCOM in Beijing on April 6, 2025 Photo: Courtesy of the MOFCOM

China's countermeasures against US' abuse of tariffs are not only aimed at protecting the legal rights of enterprises, including US-funded enterprises, but also at urging the US to return to the correct path of multilateral trade, said Ling Ji, China's vice commerce minister and deputy China international trade representative on Sunday when hosting a roundtable meeting with representatives of American businesses, according to the official website of the MOFCOM on Monday.

These remarks came as China on Friday announced countermeasures against the US' so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on its trading partners including China, with moves including imposing additional 34-percent tariffs on all products imported from the US and filing a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization concerning the US "reciprocal tariffs."

Speaking at the meeting for US-funded enterprises, with the participation of representatives from over 20 American companies, including Tesla, GE Healthcare, and Medtronic, Ling stressed the US, under various pretexts, has recently abused tariffs on all trading partners, including China, severely damaging the multilateral trade system based on rules and infringing on the legitimate rights and interests of various countries, and the Chinese government strongly condemns and firmly opposes this, and  has taken decisive countermeasures in response.

The root of the tariff issue lies in the US, Ling said, noting that it is hoped that US-funded enterprises will trace the origin, clarify the cause and effect, raise a rational voice, and take practical actions to jointly maintain the stability of the global supply chain and promote cooperation and mutual benefit.

Regardless of how international landscape evolves, Ling said that China will remain unwavering in advancing reform and opening-up.

Multilateralism is the inevitable choice for addressing the difficulties and challenges facing the world, Ling said, noting that China's door to opening up will only continue to open wider, and policies regarding foreign investment remain unchanged and will not change.

The MOFCOM will continue to provide protection to foreign-invested enterprises in China, including US-funded enterprises, ensuring the legal rights of foreign enterprises are safeguarded according to the law, and actively working to address issues and concerns raised by foreign enterprises, the vice minister said. China has always been, now is, and will continue to be an ideal, secure, and promising land for foreign investment, he noted.

Global Times