US merely paying lip service with all its talk of free trade

Editor's note: The United States has gone ahead with a series of trade protectionist practices over the past year, all in the name of "free trade". In so doing, its politicians have "given the world a lesson". Zhong Sheng, a columnist for People's Daily, comments:

The US has unilaterally provoked trade disputes with other countries, erected "tariff barriers" and closed its door on free trade. Some international media outlets have published cartoons with the theme of "the emperor's new clothes", revealing the US' self-deceptive words and deeds. But despite the firm opposition from other countries to its trade protectionism, the US refuses to abide by the rules.

The US has got used to contradicting its words with actions. When the US announced it would impose tariffs on Chinese imports, a top White House economic official said they would probably not be implemented, as it was just a negotiating tactic.

Another senior White House trade official said the US defends free trade but argued that what the current US government supports is only free, fair, equal and balanced trade. Some US politicians have declared the US "will continue to call for a free, fair and mutually beneficial economic relationship with China", while simultaneously pushing for the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods exported to the US.

We need to "listen to what a person says, but also watch what he does", is the cautionary advice of an old Chinese saying. If the US truly supports free trade and is as committed as China to building an open world economy, it should show sincerity and take actions to solve the trade disputes, rather than going back on its words and implementing tariffs.

If the US truly embraced free trade and shared the world's desire to promote common development, it would not have stuck to its stubborn stance at the G20 finance ministers' and central bank governors' meeting in Germany in March 2017, which, for the first time, resulted in their joint communiqué making no mention of promoting free trade and opposing protectionism.

Freedom and equality are the basis and premise for international trade, and supporting free trade and opposing protectionism are the core values and basic principles of the World Trade Organization.

"Fair competition" from the mouth of the US is nothing but its defiance of the WTO principles of multilateralism, inclusiveness and non-discrimination.

In the era of economic globalization, it is important to uphold the rules and make a bigger cake for the common interests of all countries, rather than adhering to an arbitrary and selfish approach.