Ambassador expects positive talks over Sino-US trade frictions

China and the United States should have negotiations on equal footing to solve current economic and trade frictions, and a positive outcome would definitely benefit the world's economy, said Maria Gustava, Mozambique's ambassador to China.

Gustava said that it is good news to hear that President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump had a phone call on June 18 and had decided to communicate during the upcoming G20 summit in the Japanese city of Osaka later this month.

"This is an important step toward positive talks between the two sides," she said. "China and the US have been negotiating over trade frictions in recent years, and I hope the door of dialogues will never be closed."

Gustava said that current trade frictions may affect China's economy, but would be very limited.

"China has huge domestic demands, and has many friends and trading partners in the world, so the current disputes will have an impact on China's economy in a short term, but won't have disruptive influence," she said.

She said that Sino-US relationship is important for the whole world. She hoped that both sides could negotiate a reasonable and win-win outcome, based on the principles of peace and equality, which will be positive for the world's economy.

"Once countries like China and the US have trade frictions or compete with each other using tariff policies, it will have a negative impact on the already fragile domestic economy and foreign trade of the developing countries, including Mozambique," she said.

She said that Mozambique agrees with China's stance in supporting multilateralism. Under the background of globalization, no country can survive independently of other countries.

"We attach great importance to the multilateral mechanisms in the world, such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, which play an important role ensuring peace and development in the world," she said, adding that Mozambique would not support US withdrawal from multilateral organizations.

Gustava said that multilateral mechanisms are for countries to work together to solve common problems in the world based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit, such as environment and economic development issues.

"Supporting multilateralism does not necessarily harm the interest of one country," she said.

"We hope that the US will give more consideration to stopping these withdrawals in the future and make more positive contributions to the peaceful development of the world."