China warns against trade protectionism under "overcapacity" pretext: spokesperson

BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- China opposes trade protectionism under the pretext of so-called "overcapacity" and will respond as necessary if relevant economies adopt measures that harm Chinese interests, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media question about an announcement by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on Wednesday that the United States had convened senior officials from 14 other economies to sign a joint ministerial statement on so-called "structural excess capacity and production."

China has repeatedly clarified its position on the so-called "overcapacity" matter on various occasions and released a dedicated position paper in July, the spokesperson said.

The country has consistently maintained that production capacity issues should be viewed in a comprehensive, objective and fair manner, rather than politicizing economic and trade matters out of concerns over one's own industrial competitiveness and market position, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson stressed that China opposes attempts by certain countries to pursue trade protectionism in the name of addressing so-called "overcapacity," warning that such practices would only disrupt the global economic and trade order, undermine the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and pose long-term risks to global economic growth.

If relevant economies use the issue as a pretext to take steps that harm China's interests, China will take necessary measures in response, the spokesperson added.

China remains committed to building a modern industrial system through openness and cooperation and supports the establishment of a fair and equitable international economic order, the spokesperson noted.

The spokesperson called on all parties to uphold multilateralism, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, respect the laws of the market economy, and jointly safeguard an open and inclusive framework for cooperation across global industrial and supply chains.