Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again made his stance clear on the growing trade tensions shaking the global economy.
During a meeting in Beijing with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on April 23, Xi warned that tariff and trade wars undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, hurt the multilateral trading system and impact the world economic order, reported Reuters.
While the meeting focused on strengthening ties with Azerbaijan — including the signing of 20 cooperation agreements under China’s Belt and Road Initiative — Xi’s message sent a wider signal amid the intensifying U.S.-China tariff conflict.
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The backdrop to Xi’s statement is the ongoing trade standoff with the United States, which escalated earlier this month when U.S. President Donald Trump announced a fresh round of tariffs on Chinese imports. Though Trump recently said those tariffs “won’t be anywhere near 145%,” tensions remain high.
Xi emphasized that China was willing to work with Azerbaijan to protect fairness in international systems.
“China is ready to work with the Azerbaijan side to uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core... and safeguard international fairness and justice,” he said, Reuters quoted.