Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Desk Editor
CHINA has voiced concerns over the imposition of unilateral sanctions against other countries by the United States of America saying it violates the spirit of rule of law at the international level.
The issue was raised this Thursday by China’s permanent representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun at the UN Security Council open debate on the Promotion and Strengthening of the Rule of Law in the Maintenance of International Peace and Security.
Calling for dialogue and consultation to settle disputes, he stressed that all countries should be engaged in the formulation of international laws.
Zhang criticised the US practice of stifling other countries’ high-tech firms on unfounded charges.
Zhang said, “In breaching the principles of fair competition, a market economy, and multilateral trade rules, the United States in particular, are hamstringing other countries’ high-tech enterprises on all sorts of trumped-up charges, and artificially destabilising the global industrial chain and supply chain. Their behavior is not only undermines other countries’ legitimate right to development and the common interests of the international community but also runs completely counter to the spirit of rule of law at the international level.”
Zhang also challenged the so-called rule-based international order, which he deemed an ambiguous formulation.
“Why are those countries, while chanting the rules-based mantra at every opportunity, evasive on the specifics of these rules? We, therefore have to suspect that the true intention of a scant few countries touting a rules-based international order is to create an alternative to the existing system of international law, to impose their own standards and will on others by putting their own narrow interests at the centre of the universe, and to open the back door to double standards and exceptionalism,” said Zhang.
The China envoy said the Asian giant is calling for only one international system with the UN at its core.
