China urges dialogue as Trump exits Paris accord and who
Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed "concern" on Tuesday over U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to withdraw the country from the Paris Agreement and the WHO. He emphasised that Beijing hopes to cooperate with Washington to resolve trade disputes, including issues related to TikTok.
- We hope that the American side can seriously listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory business environment for market participants from all countries so they can operate in the United States - said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, referencing the recent commotion regarding TikTok's operations in the USA.
The Chinese official stated that the application "plays a positive role in promoting employment and increasing consumption" in the USA.
On Monday, Trump paused the decision of his predecessor, Joe Biden, to ban the operation of the application on U.S. territory while its owner remains a Chinese entity.
The new President of the United States reiterated that TikTok should form a joint venture with an American entity. This would allow the app's owner to control data collection.
Trump, who previously announced the implementation of high tariffs on imports from China, did not mention the PRC in his inaugural speech.
China wants to strengthen dialogue and communication with the USA in accordance with the principles of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence and appropriately manage differences - emphasised Guo and added: we hope that the United States will cooperate with China to jointly promote the stable development of Sino-American economic and trade relations.
WHO without the USA: Trump's decision
Asked for a comment on the first decisions of the new U.S. president, Guo said that China is "concerned" about the announcement of the USA's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement regarding climate change countermeasures. He emphasised that "climate change is a common challenge for all humanity." He noted that China will "consistently" and "actively" counteract global warming.
The spokesperson also announced that China will "as always" support the World Health Organisation (WHO) in fulfilling its mandate. Trump signed an executive order on Monday regarding the USA's exit from the WHO.
The document stated that the USA is withdrawing "due to the organisation's mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in Wuhan, China, and management of other global health crises."
- The role of the WHO should only be strengthened, not weakened - emphasised Guo.
