Chinese Premier Li Qiang has issued a stern warning against global “unilateralism,” asserting that the world must resist a return to the “law of the jungle” in international trade. These pointed remarks were made at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, just days before a crucial meeting scheduled between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in South Korea. Premier Li’s address emphasized that economic globalization and multipolarity are irreversible forces. He directly criticized actions that favor the strong over the weak, a sentiment widely interpreted as a response to recent US trade policies. The timing of his statement is significant, following announcements from both Beijing and Washington of an “initial consensus” on a potential trade deal, which has taken a proposed 100% tariff on Chinese goods “off the table.” This development offers a glimmer of hope for de-escalating the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
