China firmly opposes any deal between the United States and its trading partners that could compromise China's interests, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.
If such a situation arises, China will not accept it and will resolutely take corresponding countermeasures, said the spokesperson in a statement, adding that the country has both the resolve and the capability to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
The spokesperson made the remarks when responding to reports that the United States is preparing to pressure other countries to restrict trade ties with China in exchange for tariff exemptions.
Under the guise of so-called "reciprocity," the United States has been recently arbitrarily imposing tariffs on all its trading partners while pressuring them to engage in so-called "reciprocal tariff" negotiations, said the spokesperson.
This is essentially using the banner of "reciprocity" as a pretext to pursue hegemonic politics and unilateral bullying in the field of international economy and trade, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson emphasized that appeasement does not bring peace, compromise does not lead to respect, and attempts to trade the interests of others for tariff exemptions are doomed to fail and will ultimately harm all parties involved.
China respects all parties that seek to resolve their trade disputes with the United States through equal consultation, the spokesperson said, calling on all parties to stand on the side of fairness and justice, align with the right side of history, and uphold international economic and trade rules and the multilateral trading system.
In the face of unilateralism and protectionism, no country can remain unaffected, the spokesperson said. Once international trade reverts to the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, all countries will suffer, the spokesperson added.
China is ready to work with all parties to strengthen solidarity and coordination, jointly oppose unilateral bullying, safeguard respective legitimate rights and interests, and uphold international fairness and justice, the spokesperson said.
China opposes US pressuring other nations for trade deals at expense of China's interests
China opposes US pressuring other nations for trade deals at expense of China's interests
China opposes US pressuring other nations for trade deals at expense of China's interests
China firmly opposes any trade deal at expense of its interests: commerce ministry
China's latest visa-free entry and tax rebate policies have fueled an influx of foreign visitors in the southern city of Guangzhou, where the country's largest international trade fair is taking place.
Since China expanded its visa-free transit window to 240 hours (10 days) for passport holders from 54 countries in 2024, Guangzhou, host city of the Canton Fair -- has recorded 1.11 million visa-free entries as of April 2025, a 275 percent year-on-year surge.
The policy is part of the country's broader push to attract more overseas visitors, including unilateral visa exemption for 38 countries and slashing the minimum spending threshold for tax refunds from 500 yuan (69 U.S. dollars) to 200 yuan (28 U.S. dollars).
In Canton Fair Convention Complex, an AI-powered virtual host explains instant refund procedures in multiple languages, attracting overseas buyers to the tax service booth, with multilingual tax refund policy and service brochures available.
Several commercial banks' booths also offer live presentations on departure tax refund procedures.
"Since the implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, as of April 2025, the tax refund for departure we have accepted has increased by 137 percent year-on-year, showcasing the enthusiasm of foreign tourists for tourism and consumption in Guangzhou," said Chen Cuina, account manager at Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) Guangzhou Branch.
The government is also expanding the number of departure tax refund stores and promoting a "refund-upon-purchase" service model. Guangzhou has increased the number of tax refund stores and expanded the variety of tax refund goods.
Currently, 349 stores in Guangzhou offer tax refund services, with 10 pilot stores implementing the in-store tax refund policy.
Since the 137th Canton Fair opened on April 15, the average daily number of tax refund transactions in Guangzhou has reached a record high, increasing by 168 percent compared to last year.
Some merchants even joined in a one-stop online instant tax refund service for departing travelers. They can instantly upload purchase details and documents via their mobile phones at these stores to complete the tax refund process and receive their refunds within five minutes.
"I definitely need to try it (the online instant tax refund), it is good because I immediately get back the money," said an overseas buyer.
Following introducing the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, Guangzhou has welcomed over three million inbound travelers, a 75 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, 1.11 million entered visa-free, representing a 275 percent increase from last year.
China's latest visa-free entry, tax rebate policies fuel influx of overseas visitors in Guangzhou
