From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has given reasons the United States tariff policy is a step backward in history.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, Yu said the world lives in the 21st century, an era far removed from the devastation of two World Wars. He recalled that the year 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.
Yu also said as Chinese President Xi Jinping rightly pointed out, inquiring about what defined the world in contemporary time, the answer was clear: peace, development, cooperation, and shared prosperity.
“Yet, the US clings to an outdated mind-set of “might makes right” and “America First.” It resorts to unilateral bullying, imposing tariffs indiscriminately while disregarding multilateral rules. It openly places its own interests above the common interests of international society, and flagrantly disregards the multilateral trading system and established rules. It promotes a law-of-the-jungle approach, which is clearly turning back the wheel of history.
“The US actions severely infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of other countries, blatantly violate WTO rules, seriously undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, and destabilise the global economic order. By doing so, the US also defies basic economic principles and market rules, ignoring the fact that it has long profited immensely from international trade,” Yu said.
Yu further said using tariffs as a weapon for maximum pressure and self-interest was a typical manifestation of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. The Chinese envoy also said the approach is neither “reciprocal” nor “fair,” saying it is essentially about pursuing “America First” and “American exceptionalism.”