Insta
(Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Vice-President Mike Pence traded barbs at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea on Saturday (17 November), South China Morning Post has reported.
Xi criticised the current wave of protectionism by the U.S and Pence hit back saying that the U.S. will not back down on tariffs while Beijing engages in "forced technology transfers" and "intellectual property theft."
Xi urged the business and political leaders to uphold free trade and a multilateral global system. “Unilateralism and protectionism will not solve problems but add uncertainty to the world economy,” he said adding that war, whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war or a trade war, produces no winners.
Xi also added that "there are no issues that countries cannot resolve through consultation" as long as they understand each other.
Vice-President Pence was more forthright in his criticism than Xi. “We have great respect for President Xi and China, but as we all know, China has taken advantage of the United States for many, many years and those days are over,” he said.
“As we know, [China] has engaged in quotas, forced technology transfers, intellectual property theft and industrial subsidies on an unprecedented scale," the vice president said.
“The US will not change course until China changes its ways,” Pence said, adding that the White House may further introduce new tariffs on Chinese goods.
The two leaders also exchanged sharply divergent views that went beyond trade issues. Pence attacked China’s Belt and Road Initiative in sharp terms saying that the terms of loans under it are vague at best and projects unsustainable.
Xi denied the ‘debt-trap’ allegation against the initiative and said that it was an ‘open platform for cooperation’ with no hidden political agenda.
“It does not cause debt traps, as some want to label it, [but] is a transparent project that brings common development to the world.”
Pence also went on to criticise China's closed internet, known as the Great Firewall. A "free and open Indo-Pacific deserves a free and open internet," Pence said.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest