China Rallies Asian Nations to Fight ‘Bullying’ in Jab at US
- Top official Zhao Leji condemns trade curbs, decoupling
- Beijing seeks to balance geopolitical and economic goals
This article is for subscribers only.
China’s No. 3 leader took a veiled swipe at the US at a regional forum as the country seeks to push back against the global influence of the world’s leading power while trying to steady the countries’ ties at the same time.
“Hegemonic and bullying acts are deeply harmful,” Zhao Leji, the ruling Communist Party’s third-ranking official, said at a keynote speech to the annual Boao Forum on Thursday attended by Asian leaders and global diplomats. “We must oppose trade protectionism and all forms of erecting barriers, decoupling or severing supply chains.”