China’s top diplomat drew sharp contrasts in trade practices between Beijing and Washington as he pressed Southeast Asian countries to protect free trade and not undermine the interests of “the third party” while the region confronts sweeping US tariffs.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called US trade practices “unreasonable and immoral” during a meeting on Thursday in Malaysia with Md. Touhid Hossain, adviser for foreign affairs of the interim government of Bangladesh.
“China-Bangladesh cooperation delivers mutual benefits. China grants zero-tariff treatment, creating developing opportunities,” Wang said. “The US, however, has imposed a 35 per cent tariff on Bangladesh – one of the least developed countries – which is neither reasonable nor moral.”
At a regional summit on Thursday, Wang told foreign ministers from Southeast Asian countries that China viewed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as a key focus for its neighbourhood diplomacy and that the countries should support each other.
“China has always been the most reliable stabilising force in a turbulent world and the most reliable partner for Asean countries in addressing challenges,” he said, according to the foreign ministry.
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