US crackdown on Huawei typical economic bullying: Chinese FM

With the use of state power, Washington's groundless crackdown on Chinese private company Huawei is typical economic bullying, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Wednesday.

During a press conference on the sidelines of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers, Wang said some people in the United States do not want China to have legitimate rights to development and attempt to impede China's development process.

A typical example is that Washington uses its state power to unjustifiably suppress Huawei without any factual basis, Wang said, adding that "this is typical economic bullying."

The Bureau of Industry and Security of the US Department of Commerce earlier put Huawei and its affiliates on an "Entity List," which restricts the sale or transfer of US technologies to the company. The ban has triggered opposition from markets worldwide.

"A just cause attracts much support, an unjust one finds little," said Wang, quoting an idiom said by Mencius, an ancient Chinese philosopher.

Such an egocentric approach by the the United States will not win the recognition and support of the international community, said Wang.

The SCO Council of Foreign Ministers on Wednesday adopted a press communique in which the members jointly oppose all forms of unilateralism and trade protectionism.

The communique particularly stressed their opposition to discriminatory practices against mutually beneficial international cooperation in the fields of digital economy and communication technology under any pretext.

China's stance on the trade frictions initiated by Washington gained understanding and support from the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization members, Wang said.

Wang said he has briefed his counterparts on the situation about the trade frictions at the SCO ministerial meeting.

The setback in the trade negotiations was caused by the US consistent refusal to resolve China's reasonable concerns and its use of extreme pressure, Wang told his counterparts.

China's response is aimed not only at safeguarding its own rightful interests, but also safeguarding the norms of international relations and protecting the free trade system, Wang stressed.

Noting that no unfair deals can be reached or recognized, Wang said that if the United States is ready for talks in an equal way, China's door is wide open; but if Washington chooses to exert extreme pressure, China will fight to the very end.

The SCO members will jointly oppose any form of unilateralism and trade protectionism, according to a joint communique issued by the ministers following their talks.