CCTV News: According to the Ministry of Commerce website, a reporter asked: On January 16, US time, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released a 301 investigation report on China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding. I also noticed that the Biden administration has recently intensively issued a series of economic and trade restrictions on China. What is the response of the Ministry of Commerce?

A: On the evening of January 15, Beijing time, our ministry has expressed its position on the recent series of U.S. trade restrictions on China. China noticed that on January 15, US time, the Biden administration once again sanctioned several Chinese companies, and released a 301 investigation report on China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industry on January 16, US time. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it.

Regarding the 301 investigation you mentioned, China emphasized that the relevant investigations have obvious unilateralism and protectionist colors. Previously, the United States imposed 301 tariffs on China, which were ruled by the WTO to violate WTO rules and face opposition from many WTO members. The US 301 investigation is for domestic political needs and the purpose of suppressing China's development, and is a serious damage to the multilateral trading system and international trade rules.

The US 301 investigation report on maritime, logistics and shipbuilding in China is full of false accusations against China. Historically, the decline of the US shipbuilding industry has nothing to do with China. Long before the rise of China's shipbuilding industry, the global market share of the US shipbuilding industry was already minimal. From a realistic perspective, China's shipbuilding industry development is definitely not based on the so-called "non-market approach", but on the basis of a complete industrial system, well-trained engineers and industrial workers, and an open business environment. China's maritime market has always been open to the global market and has never adopted a discriminatory policy against foreign ships and foreign companies. China's industrial policy is mainly guiding rather than mandatory, and Chinese and foreign enterprises are treated equally.

In contrast, the US side has provided huge subsidies to domestic industries through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chip and Science Act, many of which are discriminatory subsidies. Relevant policies and practices seriously impair the effectiveness and authority of WTO rules and are truly non-market-oriented practices.

China urges the Biden administration to respect facts and multilateral rules, abide by the principles of market economy and fair competition, face up to the reasonable concerns and legitimate demands of enterprises from both countries, and stop passing on the problems of domestic industrial development onto China. China will closely monitor the US trends and take necessary measures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.