CANBERRA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cheng Jingye, Chinese ambassador to Australia, has urged the United States to keep its promise and implement the Osaka consensus.
"The unilateral imposition of new tariffs on China by the U.S. has not only derailed China-U.S. economic and trade co-operation, but also violated the rules of the World Trade Organization, undermined the authority of its dispute settlement mechanism, and seriously disrupted the global industrial and supply chain," Cheng was quoted as saying in a signed article carried by The West Australian newspaper on Thursday.
Taking the issue of Chinese procurement of U.S. agricultural produce as an example, Cheng said the U.S. side recently alleged that China failed to purchase American agricultural produce as promised, but in fact, Chinese companies already purchased U.S. soy beans in large amounts and kept asking for new quotations.
The U.S. announcement of imposing new tariffs on Chinese imports from Sept. 1 is "a serious violation of the Osaka consensus," he said.
In June, Chinese and U.S. leaders reached such consensus in Osaka as restarting trade consultations on the basis of equality and mutual respect, no new tariffs on Chinese exports by the U.S. side and negotiation teams ready to discuss specific issues thereafter.
China, in response, will not rule out levying tariffs on American farm imports purchased after Aug. 3, and Chinese companies suspended their purchase of more U.S. agricultural produce, the ambassador said.
"We hope that the U.S. will keep its promise and implement the Osaka consensus, so as to create necessary conditions for agricultural cooperation between the two countries," he added.
A single purchase
