Expert slams US ‘coercion’ claim on China’s Hanwha sanctions as baseless, says it reflects Washington’s hegemonic, bloc-confrontation mindset

In a latest example reflecting what analysts call Washington's hegemonic mindset and bloc confrontation mentality, the US government claimed that China's recent sanctions on US-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean were an attempt to "undermine" US-ROK cooperation and "coerce" Washington's Asian ally.

However, a Chinese expert said that the US is twisting facts in an attempt to rally its allies against China - a baseless move that constitutes genuine economic coercion.

A US State Department spokesperson on Friday claimed that China's actions against Hanwha were "irresponsible," aiming to "interfere with a private company's operations and undermine US-ROK (Republic of Korea) cooperation on revitalizing American shipbuilding and manufacturing," according to a Reuters report.

"The US accusations against China's lawful action reflect a typical hegemonic mindset and bloc confrontation mentality," Dong Shaopeng, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Friday.

Dong emphasized that Washington's attempt to distort the issue is a baseless effort to conceal the fact that its Section 301 investigation itself violates WTO rules and seriously infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

On Tuesday local time, the US began implementing final measures under the Section 301 investigation targeting China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors — the latest move in Washington's expanded crackdown on Chinese industries. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the move.

A MOFCOM spokesperson slammed on the same day the US action as a typical act of unilateralism and protectionism that seriously violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and the principle of equality and reciprocity under the China-US Maritime Agreement, causing severe harm to China's related industries.

Also on Tuesday, China announced countermeasures against five US-linked subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean on its countermeasure list, prohibiting domestic organizations and individuals from engaging in transactions or cooperation with them, as these companies were involved in assisting the US government's related Section 301 investigation against China, according to a MOFCOM statement.

Hanwha, one of the world's largest shipbuilders, owns Philly Shipyard in the US and has won contracts to repair and overhaul US Navy ships. Its entities are also set to build a US-flagged LNG carrier, according to Reuters.

The MOFCOM spokesperson said that the US has begun implementing final measures under the relevant Section 301 investigation, seriously violating international law and the fundamental norms of international relations, and seriously undermining the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

Hanwha Ocean's related subsidiaries in the US have assisted and supported the US government in conducting both the Section 301 investigation and taking related measures against China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, in response to which China expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition, the spokesperson said.

China urges the US and related enterprises to respect facts and multilateral trade rules, adhere to the principles of market economy and fair competition, correct their wrongdoings as soon as possible, and cease damaging China's interests, the spokesperson concluded.

"The US has long coerced its allies into taking sides in its geopolitical competition, turning them into instruments of its global strategy. This fully exposes that it is the US, not China, that acts as the destroyer of international rules and the initiator of political coercion," Dong added.

Dong noted that if the US now feels "coerced," it is only because its own confrontational actions — including forcing allies to "take sides" between China and the US — have made it the biggest source of risk to global industrial and supply chain stability.

South Korea's presidential office said on Tuesday that it is in talks with China to minimize the impact of Beijing's sanctions on shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean's US-linked subsidiaries, per a Reuters report. Another Reuters report citing analysts said the sanctions "are seen as a warning gesture without immediate impact."

Asked to comment on these reports, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday's routine press briefing that China once again urges the US and companies concerned to respect facts and multilateral trade rules, abide by the principles of market economy and fair competition, correct their wrong practices as soon as possible, and stop undermining China's interests.

"The US should realize that coercion and bloc confrontation will never make China abandon its resolve to safeguard its legitimate interests, and try to address differences through equal consultation and dialogue with China," Dong noted.