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11 Apr, 11:54

China’s foreign minister blasts US ‘arbitrary’ moves at meeting with IAEA chief

Wang Yi called for preventing humanity from "returning to the jungle world"

BEIJING, April 11. /TASS/. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the US for "arbitrary" economic moves as he met with International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Raphael Grossi in Beijing on Friday.

"Recently, the US has wielded tariff sticks everywhere, blatantly putting its own interests above the interests of all other countries, blatantly ignoring the multilateral trading system and established rules," he said, according to a statement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website. "The international community can’t let it pass. The US can’t act arbitrarily, and the wheels of history can’t go backward."

According to the minister, one of the main reasons for the turbulent situation in the world is that some major countries have a "superstitious notion of the supremacy of strength." He said China opposes any hegemony, be it for its own or international interests.

Wang Yi called for preventing humanity from "returning to the jungle world."

He mentioned that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is willing to "firmly maintain the international system" and work with all countries to jointly "resist all retrogressions in this world."

US President Donald Trump set off a massive trade war, announcing on April 2 that the US was imposing tariffs on 185 countries and territories. The rate for China was set at 34%, prompting the Asian country to retaliate with an additional tariff of 34% on all American products from April 10.

The US president then threatened Beijing with tariffs of 104% until it agreed to a trade deal. China countered by raising tariffs on the US to 84%. Afterward, Trump jacked up the rate to 125%, so Beijing on Friday also announced a retaliatory measure from April 12.