News headlines these days seem to suggest that tension is running high. The US administration decided to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. President Trump is seeking to take actions on up to US$60 billion worth of Chinese products. Fears of a potential trade war caused financial markets to respond nervously, and have brought a greater sense of uncertainty to global economy.

打开这些天的报纸，似乎总能闻到一股硝烟味儿。从美国政府决定对进口钢铝产品征收惩罚性关税，到对中国进行301调查并威胁采取贸易和投资限制措施，再到公布拟加征关税的多达500亿美元的中国输美商品清单，所谓“贸易战将被引发”的猜测不绝于耳，在国际金融市场引发严重的不安情绪，也给全球经济带来新的不确定性。

 

Let’s first get the facts straight. Most of American steel and aluminum imports are middle- and lower-end products for civilian purposes. Many WTO members, including the EU, have pointed out that their exports do not harm American national security at all. Separately, the Section 301 Report’s findings fail to reflect what is really happening in China, and the proposed actions disregard WTO rules and the wish of business communities. The US moves are typically unilateral and protectionist, and set a very bad precedent.

实际情况是美国进口钢铝的绝大部分是民用中低端产品，包括欧盟在内的世界贸易组织成员均指出，其出口产品并未损害美国国家安全。美国对华进行301调查并采取限制措施，更是无视事实、无视世贸组织规则、无视广大业界呼声，是典型的单边主义和贸易保护主义做法，开了一个非常恶劣的先例。

Let’s then put it into a global perspective. From GATT to WTO, the whole international community has a long-standing commitment to a multilateral trade system that is open, equitable and beneficial to all, to trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and to common prosperity for all countries. This is why all WTO members commit to substantial tariff cuts. This is why, all members pledge, should any dispute or friction occur, not to seek unilateral actions that may heighten confrontation, and rather, to seek remedies through the dispute settlement system, observe its rules and its rulings.

从缔结关贸总协定到组建世贸组织，国际社会的共同目标就是通过实质性削减关税等措施，建立开放、公平、互惠的多边贸易体制，推动贸易投资自由化便利化，实现各国经济的共同发展。为了解决贸易争端和摩擦，世贸组织所有成员都郑重承诺，“当事各方不应采取单边行动对抗，而是通过争端解决机制寻求救济并遵守其规则及其所做出的裁决”。

 

However, the United States turns its back on these globally recognized rules and its own commitment. Its protectionist moves under the pretext of national security will undermine the credibility of the WTO-centered multilateral trade system, and the rules-based global trade order. If every player yields to might and gives up what is right, or even pursues its own interests at others’ expense, global trade would get out of order and return to “law of the jungle”. If that happens, everyone’s interests would be hurt, including the EU.

美国无视这些规则和承诺，以维护国家安全之名，行贸易保护主义之实，势必削弱以世贸组织为核心的多边贸易体制的权威性，破坏基于规则的国际多边贸易秩序。中国已决定采取同等力度、同等规模的措施，坚决维护自身合法权益。如果我们牺牲原则而屈从强权，甚至以邻为壑而谋求私利，最终结果就是国际贸易失去制度保障、重回丛林法则，受到损害的将是包括中国和欧盟在内的国际社会各方利益。

 

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said that disrupting trade flows will jeopardize the global economy and that actions outside collective processes will greatly increase the risk of confrontation escalation. DG Azevêdo also called for restraint and urgent dialogue as the best path forward to resolve problems. I cannot agree with him more. China, as the second largest economy, will demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility and develop healthy trade ties with other players on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. China will make unwavering efforts to build an open economy, and share benefits with others in the course of opening-up.

正如世界贸易组织总干事阿维泽多所指出的，扰乱贸易往来将危害全球经济复苏，单边行动将大大增加对抗升级的风险，保持克制和进行对话才是解决争端的最佳途径。中国作为世界第二大经济体，将本着负责任态度，遵循相互尊重、互利互惠原则，维护与各方经贸关系的健康稳定发展；也将坚定不移地发展开放型经济，在开放中与各方分享机遇、实现共赢。

 

In a world of great uncertainties, a stable China-EU relationship is an invaluable asset. China and the EU, as major members of the WTO and each other’s comprehensive strategic partner, should take a clear stance against protectionism, jointly preserve the rules-based multilateral trade order, and keep the global economy on a sound and sustainable track. This is a joint responsibility of China and the EU. We must act together to make that happen.

在充满不确定因素的国际形势中，中欧合作的稳定性弥足珍贵。中国和欧盟同为世界贸易组织的重要成员，又是全面战略伙伴，应该携起手来，旗帜鲜明地共同反对贸易保护主义，维护基于规则的国际多边贸易秩序，维护世界经济的持续向好势头。这是中欧的共同责任，也应该成为中欧的共同行动。