CAIRO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- China supports free trade and will push forward trade liberalization, while rejecting the unilateral moves by the U.S. against free trade, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Song Aiguo told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Song said that the world is "big enough for free trade" and China has many friends to carry out fruitful joint projects of mutual cooperation in various fields.
"China is ready to work with other states to continue the process of trade liberalization and enhance investment cooperation," Song said.
He made the reamarks on the sidelines of the two-day China-Africa Cooperation Zones Symposium that started in Cairo on Tuesday under the theme of "Results and Experiences."
The ambassador criticized the unlateral measures taken by the U.S. recently to impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports, which could lead to a trade war between the two leading economies, that could threaten the global economic stability.
"The U.S. unilateral measures against free trade will not only affect China's interests, but will affect those of other countries as well as the stability of global economy," Song said.
The U.S. government announced in early April a proposed list of imported Chinese products, worth 50 billion U.S. dollars, to impose 25-percent additional tariffs, under the pretext of punishing China for alleged violation of U.S. intellectual property.
In response, China unveiled a list of imported U.S. products worth 50 billion dollars that will be subject to higher tariffs, including soybeans, automobiles, aircraft and chemical products.
"We are not afraid of the economic war that the United States is trying to wage against us. We reject the U.S. unilateral measures and we support free trade," Song said.
He noted that China has set up partnerships with many developing states through economic blocs, summits and forums, including the BRICS summit comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and the Belt and Road Initiative, to promote multinational economic and trade cooperation.
Speaking at the opening session of the China-Africa Cooperation Zones Symposium, Song said Tuesday that China will give the FOCAC summit, due in September in the Chinese capital Beijing, "a new push for partnership with Africa to enhance cooperation in all fields."
