'Trade is mutually beneficial, should not be weaponized,' says Justin Yifu Lin

The Lanting Forum on Improving Global Governance to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity was held in Beijing on Monday. Justin Lin Yifu, dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University, told the Global Times that trade is mutually beneficial and should not be weaponized. He added that the establishment of the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration has once again underscored to the world the historical and legal fact that the island of Taiwan belongs to China.

Delegations from China and the US reached basic consensuses on arrangements to address their respective trade concerns after two days of talks in Malaysia, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

Guided by the important consensuses reached by the two heads of state in their phone conversations since the beginning of this year, the two sides had candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges of views on important trade and economic issues of mutual concerns, including the US Section 301 measures on China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, the extension of the suspension of reciprocal tariffs, fentanyl-related tariff and law enforcement cooperation, trade in agricultural products, and export controls, according to Xinhua.

The two sides agreed to work out specific details and follow the domestic approval processes of each side, said the report.

When asked to comment on exchanges between China and the US, Lin said that trade is mutually beneficial and win-win, expressing hope that all parties will advance globalization within the framework of WTO rules. "Trade should not be weaponized to pursue unilateral interests at the expense of other countries and regions," he noted.

China's national legislature on Friday voted to designate October 25 as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration, Xinhua said in another report.

The restoration of Taiwan is an important outcome of victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and a compelling proof of the Chinese government's recovery of sovereignty over Taiwan. It is also an important part of the historical fact and legal chain that Taiwan is an integral part of China.

In response, Lin stressed that establishing the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration carries great significance. The restoration of Taiwan island was a tremendous victory achieved through the collective efforts of the entire Chinese nation, bringing the island back from colonial rule to the embrace of the motherland. "This is one of our greatest achievements in modern history, and of course it should be remembered and celebrated," Lin said.

Lin noted that both the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation explicitly affirmed that the island of Taiwan is part of China, and the one-China principle remains a fundamental political consensus that must be upheld in China's diplomatic relations with other countries.

He noted that some countries today attempt to use the island of Taiwan as a pawn to contain China's development, even creating legal ambiguities. "Therefore, commemorating the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War and the restoration of Taiwan is also about reaffirming to the world the historical and legal fact that Taiwan island belongs to China, which contributes to peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," Lin said.

"The tide of history is unstoppable — China's national rejuvenation and reunification are destined to be realized. This also reflects our firm resolve," he added.