Chinese Ambassador Pens Article for French Paper After China-EU Summit

On July 25, 2018, Les Échos published an article by Chinese Ambassador to France Zhai Jun (翟隽) titled “China’s Position on Avoiding a Global Trade War,” following the 20th China-EU Leaders’ Meeting held on July 16, 2018 in Beijing. In the article, Zhai accused the United States of “implementing protectionism under the banner of its own priorities” and characterized US actions as “wielding the tariff bludgeon,” claiming these measures “forced China to retaliate.” The ambassador’s commentary addressed the trade disputes triggered when President Trump signed a memorandum on March 22, 2018, directing tariffs on Chinese goods following a Section 301 investigation into China’s technology transfer and intellectual property practices. The US implemented 34 billion dollars in tariffs on Chinese goods on July 6, 2018, with China retaliating the same day. The ambassador also advocated for closer China-Europe cooperation and called for alignment between China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and European infrastructure plans to achieve what he called “mutual benefits.”