Opinions & Interviews
China promises greater access to its market for Belarus
MINSK, 11 June (BelTA) – China is ready to open up its market even more for Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Belarus Cui Qiming said at an event to discuss China-USA relations on 11 June, BelTA has learned.
“Belarus is working hard to promote an export-oriented economy and is actively advocating the emergence of a global open-type economy and free trade. Speaking at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that Belarus is like no other state interested in a fair, equal and transparent system of international trade, as Belarus is a place where commodity flows go from east to west and north to south. Modern technologies make the world more compact. If we want to expand our economic cooperation and give a powerful impetus to the economy, we need to work more efficiently on removing all kinds of barriers,” the ambassador said.
He assured that China, the world’s biggest consumer market, will give even a greater access to its market for other states, including Belarus, and will keep promoting diversification of trade. “China is ready to deepen cooperation with Belarus and to jointly address global governance issues like unilateralism (support for unilateral actions) and protectionism in trade, and to defend the multilateral trading system,” Cui Qiming said.
The ambassador gave his take on the current status of relations between China and the United States: “The China-USA trade and economic disputes caused great concern in the international community. On 2 June the Chinese government published a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations that reaffirms China’s commitment to equitable, mutually beneficial and fair consultations. Cui Qiming stated that the United States is trying to intimidate China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico and other trading partners using customs duties, thus fermenting a global trade war. Since 2018, China and the USA have held 11 rounds of trade and economic consultations. At these consultations the United States want an incredibly high price to be paid and break their promises, the diplomat noted.
Dean of the International Relations Department at Belarusian State University Professor Viktor Shadursky emphasized the importance of solving problems through dialogue and negotiations. He sees the current situation as dangerous. “The world is much more than the United States, and, as history shows, one country cannot dominate. As soon as one state begins to dominate, others begin to pool together, and then every voice counts, even that of a small country,” Viktor Shadursky said.
Experts attending the event noted that China is able to protect its legitimate rights and interests. Raising trade tariffs will not solve the problem while a trade war will bring only harm. Head of the information and analysis department of the Confucius Institute of Sinology at Belarusian State University Andrei Volovik described the situation “as the use of force from impotence”. He drew attention to the fact that the credibility of the multilateral trading system is being undermined, the global production chain is collapsing.
Chairperson of the Belarusian society of friendship and cultural relations with foreign countries Nina Ivanova believes that sooner or later the situation will be resolved in a peaceful manner and urged to make every effort for peaceful settlement of conflicts.
The experts concluded that economic globalization is an objective precondition for the development of the social productive forces and the inevitable result of scientific and technological progress, an irresistible trend of the time. Participants called for common sense and adequate solutions in the context of globalization, taking into account the interests of all states, i.e. on the basis of mutual benefit. It was noted that the Belt and Road initiative promises benefits for all participants.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
