USA: China has stepped up its criticism of the US for allegedly violating trade agreements and intimidating other nations, raising the possibility of tense negotiations when the US Secretary of State pays a visit next month.

On Friday, the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO) reviewed disputes, including several cases brought against the US, and China's ambassador made the criticism.

Despite expectations of a thaw following the announcement that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would visit China in February and that a group of US Treasury officials led by Janet Yellen might also travel to Beijing, Li Chenggang's rebuke demonstrates the gap between the world's two largest economies is still wide.

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Li criticised the US at the WTO meeting for acting unilaterally, violating trade agreements, and upsetting global supply chains, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

On Monday, Xinhua criticised the Biden administration for using national security laws to defend protectionism, adding that its WTO appeals would be fruitless and would only incite "public anger."

According to Xinhua, the US is the biggest offender of international trade laws, accounting for roughly two thirds of WTO disputes, and it was to blame for the paralysis of the organization's dispute resolution process in 2019.

Lu Xiang, an expert on US-China relations at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a Beijing-based government think tank, said: "Although there is little chance for bilateral issues to be addressed in the multilateral mechanism, China will not give up presenting its perspectives in such occasions and it will try to obtain an initiative in winning international support."

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The US's demand that Hong Kong products bear the label "Made in China" and Washington's anti-dumping sanctions against Chinese steel and aluminium products have been challenged in the WTO by China's Ministry of Commerce.

Since the US blocked the appointment of new judges in December 2019, the WTO's Appellate Body has lacked the bare minimum of judges needed to hear appeals of trade disputes.

Xinhua asserted that the European Union (EU) and Canada, two steadfast US allies, supported China's stance, though no specifics of their remarks at the meeting on Friday were made public.

Instead, the EU's request for the creation of a panel to discuss Chinese enforcement of intellectual property rights was listed on the WTO agenda.
The dispute between Beijing and Washington is primarily about national security, which Washington has used as justification for export restrictions on semiconductor chips and other high-tech goods.

Regarding the outcomes of the upcoming Blinken visit, Lu stated, "We are cautious rather than optimistic." Nothing can be agreed upon strategically if the US is committed to restricting China's development.

These doubts have been strengthened by reports that the US is considering new measures with the Netherlands and Japan to further restrict chip supplies to China after placing hundreds of Chinese companies on its trade blacklist.

However, Lu said, Yellen's increased involvement in bilateral talks has raised hopes for fruitful discussions on issues pertaining to the economy, finances, and trade where both nations have common interests.

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"Bilateral economic and finance teams must start talking in order for relations to improve," he said. After the Bali G20 summit, Yellen's ascent to the forefront offered a chance to mend bilateral relations, according to Chen Fengying, a senior fellow with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

She has been pushing for dialogue with China and cooperation on international trade and economic issues, Chen said.

Although Yellen's potential trip's specifics are still unknown, the US said in a statement that she "looks forward to travelling to China and to welcoming her counterparts to the United States in the near future" after meeting Vice-Premier Liu He earlier this month in Switzerland.