ロシア招待、南ア招かず、中国と対立…G20閉幕、米国が残した火種

During the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, China's disagreement with the "non-market policy abolition" clause led to the adoption of a joint statement being ruled out. Of the 19 participating countries, they agreed that measures are necessary to eliminate "non-market policies and practices that exacerbate imbalances."

China did not join the joint statement but issued a statement of its own. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at the meeting, "The world's largest and unsustainable trade surplus China is the only one that did not agree." China recorded a trade surplus of nearly $1.19 trillion (about 1630 trillion yuan) last year. China objected to the term "non-market policies," which refers to government subsidies, policy financing, and support for state-owned enterprises that distort competition through market prices.

The U.S. and Europe have long criticized such policies for China's excessive production and cheap exports. China also did not agree with the statement that countries with excessive surplus must eliminate distortions by removing constraints on domestic consumption and over-reliance on export-driven growth. Additionally, the term "core minerals," which China refused to include in the statement, caused a point of contention.

China feared that such labeling would lead to the weaponization of resources, as seen with its restrictions on rare earth minerals like neodymium. The joint statement did not include the "predictable transit of the Hormuz Strait" and the G20's "common framework" for debt restructuring of developing countries either. The U.S. and European officials believe China is concerned that the transit rules may apply to the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

Mnuchin warned other countries that "Trump's tariff barriers" could flood the market with Chinese products. He urged other nations to "seriously consider what they must do to protect their jobs and manufacturing base."