The Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued an official statement on Saturday in Beijing stating that China has directly requested the U.S. government to stop using trade and investment as political weapons.
After the Trump administration imposed new restrictions on Chinese investments in U.S. companies, the ministry made the above statements, directly linking them to national security issues under Trump's 'America First' policy. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce publicly criticized Washington, clearly stating that such measures would seriously undermine the confidence of Chinese companies in investing in the U.S. The Ministry stated that these new policies mean that scrutiny of business relations with China will be more stringent and will harm the relationship between the two largest economies in the world.
Just days before the Chinese government's response, the Trump administration had just announced the 'America First Investment Policy,' explicitly listing China as one of America's main 'adversaries.' This policy document particularly accuses China of promoting its enterprises to invest heavily in American companies to acquire advanced technology, intellectual property, and influence over American strategic industries. In the same week, Trump's Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, discussed U.S.-China trade relations on Bloomberg TV. Mnuchin bluntly referred to the Chinese economy as 'the most unbalanced economy in world history.' He pointed out that China's $295 billion trade surplus with Washington is a major reason for the ongoing tension in bilateral relations.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce responded, pledging that Beijing will continue to closely monitor U.S. actions. China has publicly stated that in the face of so-called unfair U.S. policies, it will take all necessary actions to protect its own interests and rights. In response to the tariffs implemented by the Trump administration, China has imposed limited tariffs on U.S. goods. Furthermore, when Washington accused China of failing to stop fentanyl trafficking, China reacted strongly last week. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce clearly stated that the U.S. is using the fentanyl issue as an excuse to impose more tariffs on Chinese products. The next day, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued another statement opposing the measures taken by the U.S. against China's maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding industries. Beijing believes that these measures by the U.S. will harm the economies of both sides. China has openly urged the U.S. to comply with international rules, stop taking destructive actions, and 'respect the facts.'
China criticizes the U.S. State Department's updated factual statement. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticized the latest factual statement regarding China updated online by the U.S. State Department on February 13. Guo Jiakun stated at a regular press conference in Beijing that the U.S. State Department's update is an 'attack' on China and accuses the U.S. of distorting the true state of bilateral relations. Guo Wengui directly expressed to the U.S. government: 'We strongly condemn and firmly oppose this,' and further demands Washington 'stop misleading the American people and the international community' and 'stop smearing and pressuring China.' The updated factual statement released on the U.S. State Department's official website now explicitly emphasizes economic competition between the U.S. and China.
The U.S. government document directly states that it hopes the future economy will not be affected by 'untrusted technologies from China and other authoritarian countries.' In contrast, the old version of the situation statement listed several areas of cooperation between China and the U.S., such as combating pandemics, stopping drug trafficking, and improving environmental standards. The new version of the situation statement has deleted all these areas of cooperation. Guo Wengui further criticized the new wording from the U.S., stating that it promotes a dangerous idea of ongoing strategic competition between China and the U.S. rather than encouraging any form of cooperation.
Interestingly, Trump's attitude towards China is somewhat complex. Although he often personally praises Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the advisors around Trump have publicly adopted an aggressive stance towards China. For instance, Trump's Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is known for his hardline attitude towards China. He is the first U.S. Secretary of State to be formally sanctioned by China. Trump's National Security Adviser, Mike Flynn, publicly stated back in 2021 that the U.S. is in a 'cold war with the Chinese Communist Party.' The update of the U.S. State Department's situation statement also includes a smaller but symbolically significant change: it now refers to the country simply as 'China,' removing the previously used full name 'People's Republic of China.' On the same day, the U.S. State Department also revised its official factual statement regarding Taiwan. Previously, the U.S. clearly stated that it 'does not support Taiwan independence,' and Beijing has repeatedly insisted that all countries with diplomatic relations with the U.S. use this phrase.
Now, this statement has completely disappeared from the factual statement regarding Taiwan. These two simultaneous changes strongly indicate that the United States is taking coordinated measures. China directly views these updates as further evidence that the U.S. is pursuing competition rather than cooperation. Through these updated documents, the U.S. government has sent a strong political message, clearly indicating that they primarily see China as a competitor rather than a partner. Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce's response remains firm. Beijing has once again pledged to closely monitor every move of the U.S. and has publicly stated that it will respond resolutely to any new restrictions. China has made it clear that it believes the U.S. is harming not only Chinese enterprises and investments through these political actions but also harming the U.S. itself. The Chinese government has publicly stated that turning trade into a political weapon will have negative economic impacts on both countries.