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China warns Trump if its interests are harmed
Beijing, March 4 (IANS) China on Sunday warned US President Donald Trump that there would be consequences if Washington launched a trade war.
"China does not want a trade war with the US, but if it takes actions to hurt China's interests, China will not sit by idly and will take necessary measures," Zhang Yesui, a spokesperson for China's National People's Congress, said in a press conference.
Zhang also warned Washington that policies based on "misjudgement or wrong presumptions will hurt relations and bring about consequences that neither side would want to see", reports Efe news.
These remarks come after Trump on Thursday announced that his administration will impose 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium products and described trade wars as "good".
Zhang said that the total trade between the two economic powers reached more than $580 billion in 2017 so "it is natural that there are some frictions".
However, he insisted that cooperation was the only way to resolve those differences, citing the example of Chinese top economic adviser Liu He's visit to Washington this week for a series of meetings with US government officials.
"It is important for both sides to perceive each other's strategic intentions correctly and with a fair mind," Zhang said at the press conference preceding the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress, which will begin Monday.
Trump's announcement was met with strong criticism by international trading partners who said his plan could spark a trade war. European Union officials said they would retaliate with new tariffs on US goods, including Harley-Davidson motorbikes, bourbon whiskey and Levi's jeans.
Trump praises Xi's 'power grab'
US President Donald Trump has praised his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for recently consolidating power and extending his potential tenure, musing that he would not mind making such a manoeuver himself, a media report said.
"He's now president for life. President for life. No, he's great," CNN quoted Trump as saying at speech to Republican donors in Florida on Saturday.
"And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."
Jinping came to power in 2012 and had been expected to rule until 2023, the Guardian reported.
However, last week it emerged that Xi would attempt to use an annual meeting of China's parliament, which begins on Monday morning, to abolish presidential term limits by changing the Chinese constitution.
However, Liberals have condemned the power grab.
Xing Hua, a Chinese scholar who agreed to be interviewed, claimed foreign journalists were "over-interpreting" and "over-emphasising" the move.
"I hope western media can view this proposal in a comprehensive and objective manner," Xing, from the China Institute of International Studies, a state-run think tank, told the Guardian.
However, western experts say they are convinced Xi's plan is to rule for many years to come.
