China urges WTO to oppose US tariffs

Beijing envoy Zhang Xiangchen has told the WTO it must work to prevent the US from wrecking the organisation and oppose US tariffs targeting China.

China's envoy to the World Trade Organisation has urged that the body do more over the United States tariffs plan for his counry. Source: AAP

World Trade Organisation members must work together to prevent the United States wrecking the WTO and must oppose US tariffs targeting China's alleged theft of intellectual property, Beijing's envoy Zhang Xiangchen says.

"WTO members should jointly... lock this beast back into the cage of the WTO rules," Zhang told a meeting of the trade body on Monday, referring to a previous US commitment not to use such tariffs without first getting approval from the WTO.

"Unilateralism is fundamentally incompatible with the WTO, like fire and water. In the open sea, if the boat capsizes, no one is safe from drowning," Zhang said.

"We shouldn't stay put watching someone wrecking the boat. The WTO is under siege and all of us should lock arms to defend it."