Moves by the United States of America to impose tariffs will have an adverse effect on Pacific Islands countries like Fiji, says Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Zhou Jian.
And Jian has called on national leaders to rally together against what he terms the ‘bullying’ tactics of the Trump administration.
“To shift the burden of its domestic economic woes, the U.S. has started trade wars against all countries, including the least developed nations.”
“Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), pointedly noted that the 44 Least Developed Countries contribute less than two per cent of the US’s trade deficit, and that higher tariffs would only make their existing debt crisis much worse.”
Jian said the sanctions will impact Fiji greatly.
“For Pacific Island nations like Fiji, whose economies are fragile and dependent on a handful of export industries (such as bottled water, kava, fish, and sugar), tariff barriers directly affect people’s livelihoods these measures push Fiji into an even more disadvantaged position in the global trade system, stripping it of the basic right to sustainable development. For small nations like Fiji, this could be a catastrophe.”
Jian added that China is not taking these latest moves by the USA lightly.
“In the face of U.S. trade bullying, China—as the world’s second-largest economy and second-largest consumer market—can still rely on its robust industrial chains and diversified markets to withstand pressure.”
