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<html><body><div>Wu Jianghao is China's ambassador to Japan.Groundless criticisms of China's trade and economic policies by the U.S. reflect its arrogance, prejudice and ignorance.The U.S. government and American politicians must remember that it is China that withstood economic pressure and contributed by far the most to global economic growth after the U.S. triggered the 2008 global financial crisis. As a matter of fact, China's average contribution to global growth exceeded 30% during the 2013-21 period.Just as importantly, Belt and Road Initiative projects could help lift about 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty worldwide by 2030, according to World Bank estimates. As the biggest trading partner of more than 130 countries and regions, China's foreign trade has benefited billions of people, for which it has been praised by many governments.Hence, it is necessary to ask three questions about U.S. attempts to weaken the global economy.First, when will the U.S. stop violating World Trade Organization rules?The U.S. has been sued more than 100 times in the WTO. Last year, the WTO ruled against Washington's Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, saying that they do not qualify as a national security measure under the organization's rules. But Washington has condemned the WTO's ruling as flawed and has refused to change course.The U.S. also abused its veto power once again this year to reject a proposal to start the process of selecting new judges for the WTO's Appellate Body, which has been dysfunctional since December 2019 due to unfilled vacancies.Washington's application of international rules in a selective way is a travesty in terms of its so-called "rules-based order." Indeed, the U.S. is actually the biggest source of instability in the world order.Second, when will the U.S. stop trampling on free trade?The U.S. claims to be the standard-bearer of free trade, but it does not adopt the same approach toward China. For example, the U.S. has used human rights concerns to smear Chinese products and technologies and has forced other countries to decouple their economies from China's.It even restricts semiconductor exports to China. The latest example of U.S. bullying was the recent one-sided congressional hearing on TikTok. 
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 The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed more than 3,900 sanctions against China and other foreign entities during its four-year term.



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In the past, the U.S. imposed high tariffs on Japanese beef and steel and declared Toyota Motor imports a "national security threat." It also took Super 301 action to force Japan to restrain its exports to the U.S. and to implement structural reform. That was unprecedented in the history of international relations and global trade.The U.S. has bypassed the multilateral system and formed several exclusive cliques to introduce rules that cater only to its own interests. It has undermined free trade in the name of national security and sacrificed the security and development of other countries, even its allies, to safeguard its own security, revealing its hegemonic attitude.Third, when will the U.S. stop imposing sanctions on other countries?The U.S. uses sanctions to maintain its global hegemony. Its use of sanctions rose 933% between 2000 and 2021. The administration of former President Donald Trump, for instance, imposed more than 3,900 sanctions against foreign entities during its four-year term, meaning it imposed three sanctions a day on average.The U.S. has imposed sanctions on nearly 40 countries, affecting more than 3 billion people's lives around the world. These nonselective sanctions have severely hampered global economic recovery in the post-pandemic era.But the U.S. does not do any self-introspection. Instead, it continues to level false charges against other countries and to smear them -- especially China -- by any means possible.Which countries does China pose a threat to? China does not bully or wantonly announce sanctions against other countries, use long-arm jurisdiction or suppress foreign businesses. How can anyone accuse it of coercion? In fact, no one has a better claim to the title of master of coercion than the U.S.The U.S. should not shift blame onto China. Rather, it should fulfill its due responsibilities in international trade and stop harming the global economy. We hope the U.S. government and politicians realize that mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the only way forward for China-U.S. relations. We also hope the U.S. makes genuine efforts to bring bilateral relations back on the right track and gives a shot in the arm to the recovery of the global economy.
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