No compromising principles

China and the United States held their 11th round of high-level economic and trade consultations on Thursday and Friday. In their negotiations they have made substantial headway on many issues, but there are core concerns of China that remain unaddressed.

It has called for all the additional tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese imports to be revoked, for Washington's demands for purchases of US goods to be realistic, and for any statement of agreement to be expressed in language that is balanced and respects the dignity of the country.

The China-US economic and trade consultations so far have been like a symphony, with the main theme remaining largely audible but with other seemingly clashing motifs sometimes coming to the fore.

The US initiated the ongoing trade frictions with the excuse it was seeking fair trade. However, the US is failing to respect the principle of "two-way fairness" in trade. There can be no fairness without allowing both sides to benefit from trade relations. Both sides have their core interests, which cannot be compromised. It should not be forgotten that the Sino-US negotiations regarding China's access to the WTO took 13 years and the golden principle behind that success was the focus on win-win results.

The utmost sincerity in seeking mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes, and mutual understanding and mutual accommodation to find common ground while reserving differences－these are the principles that have been proved by history to ensure the success of international trade negotiations. Regrettably, the US has opted to try and use maximum pressure to force China into giving in to its demands.

The US may have failed to think rationally about the changing global landscape, China's rising role in the global arena and the market opportunities it will lose in wielding a stick against China on trade. It should not miscalculate the situation and further escalate trade frictions.

China has been fully prepared for the worse-case scenario. The frictions will not hold back the country's development, whether in terms of trade or its overall development.

The US should make sincere efforts to meet China halfway and solve their differences through cooperation and equal-footed consultation.

China has always had the utmost sincerity in seeking to advance China-US economic and trade consultations, but it will not succumb to pressure imposed by the US, nor will it compromise its interests.