On the 9th, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce responded to a question regarding the United States convening certain economies to issue a ministerial joint statement addressing the so-called "structural overcapacity and production overcapacity" issue.
Q: On October 7, US Eastern Time, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released a statement noting that the United States recently convened senior officials from 14 economies for a meeting, jointly signing and issuing a ministerial joint statement addressing the so-called "structural overcapacity and production overcapacity" issue. What is the Ministry of Commerce's comment on this?
A: We have noted the relevant situation. China has repeatedly stated its position on the so-called "overcapacity" issue on various occasions and published a dedicated position paper on this matter in July this year. China has consistently maintained that the issue of production capacity should be viewed in a comprehensive, objective and fair manner, and that economic and trade issues should not be politicized out of concern for one's own industrial competitiveness and market position. China opposes certain countries using the so-called "overcapacity" as a pretext to engage in trade protectionism, which will only disrupt the global economic and trade order and the stability of industrial and supply chains, bringing long-term risks to world economic growth.
If relevant economies use this as an excuse in the future to take measures that harm China's interests, China will make necessary responses. China is committed to building a modern industrial system through openness and cooperation and supports the establishment of a fair and reasonable international economic order. China calls on all relevant parties to uphold multilateralism, advocate mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, respect market principles, and jointly safeguard an open and inclusive global industrial and supply chain cooperation framework.