A Chinese premier portrayed his country as deeply committed to a continued opening up to international competition
Premier Li Keqiang of China reaffirmed on Tuesday his country’s desire to be seen as the world’s new leader in globalization and free trade, but he offered no specifics on how China might lower its own trade barriers, which are among the steepest of any large country.
Speaking at the opening of a World Economic Forum conference in northeastern China, Mr. Li portrayed his country as deeply committed to a continued opening up to international competition. Without naming the United States or the Trump administration, he also said that it was wrong to blame free trade for economic or social problems.
« When we sprain an ankle when walking on the road, we should not blame the road and stop walking, » Mr. Li said, later adding that « in international economic relations, one should not impose unilateral rules. »
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« Only in this way can we achieve free and fair trade. »
President Trump vehemently denounced the state of trade with China and other countries during the election campaign, blaming it for widespread job losses among American manufacturing workers. That argument helped Mr. Trump win the White House and has gained some traction among economists who say the benefits of globalization have not been shared equally, though they point to other factors also eliminating jobs.
But since taking office, Mr. Trump has focused more on non-China subjects, such as withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement among a group of Asian and Pacific nations that did not include China, and starting a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Mr. Li’s stance nonetheless represents a clear contrast to the Trump administration’s rhetoric, said Eswar Prasad, a Brookings Institution specialist in trade and monetary policy who is attending the conference. « There’s really a cognitive dissonance coming from Washington to here, » Mr. Prasad said. « Washington is all about tearing down things. »
Yet while Mr. Li briefly mentioned that China would open up its services and manufacturing sectors, a repeated Chinese promise over the past quarter-century, he offered no details.
