China has lodged representations with the United States over its latest Section 301 investigations during ongoing trade talks in Paris, calling on Washington to immediately rectify what it described as wrongdoing, the country's Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.
According to a ministry spokesperson, the United States on Thursday initiated Section 301 investigations against 60 economies, including China, citing an alleged 'failure to prevent trade in products produced with forced labour'. The move follows another Section 301 probe launched on March 11, when the US announced a so-called investigation into overcapacity, China Daily reported.
The spokesperson urged the United States to 'work in the same direction as China', adhere to the principles of mutual respect and equal consultation, and resolve differences through dialogue. China will closely monitor the progress of the investigations and “reserve the right to take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard our legitimate rights and interests”, the spokesperson added.
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The ministry described the investigations as unilateral, arbitrary and discriminatory, characterising them as a form of protectionism. A World Trade Organisation panel has previously ruled that US Section 301 tariffs on China violate WTO rules, the spokesperson said. The continued use of the Section 301 mechanism, China argued, places US domestic law above international rules, undermining the stability and security of global industrial and supply chains and disrupting the international economic and trade order.
The spokesperson also said the United States has repeatedly fabricated claims and imposed trade restrictions on China under the pretext of forced labour, a practice Beijing has firmly opposed. China, a founding member of the International Labour Organisation, has ratified 28 international labour conventions and established a comprehensive system of labour laws and regulations to prevent and combat forced labour, the spokesperson said, reported China Daily.
By contrast, the United States has not ratified the Forced Labour Convention of 1930 and has long politicised the issue, the spokesperson added, accusing Washington of using the Section 301 investigations against China and other economies as a means of erecting trade barriers.
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