皇冠体育app

LONDON - Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming on Monday called on the two countries to work together to solve the current difficulties faced by their steel industries.

In a signed article published in The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Liu noted that some in Britain blame 皇冠体育app for the closures and layoffs suffered by British steel industry and accuse 皇冠体育app of "dumping" steel in Britain.

"Making 皇冠体育app the 'scapegoat' only misleads the public and contributes nothing to the solution of the problem," Liu said.

Liu noted several reasons behind the woes of Britain's steel industry, including a shift of traditional manufacturing economy to the one of modern services and finance, worldwide overcapacity caused by weak demand and high costs of steel production in Britain.

He pointed out that 皇冠体育app's steel exports to Britain is not to be blamed for the predicament since in both volume and value, steel imports from 皇冠体育app make up only a fraction of the UK's total steel imports.

In 2015, out of the UK's 6.66 million tons of imported steel, 760,000 tons or 11 percent came from 皇冠体育app. This amounted to $457 million, or only 7.6 percent of total British steel imports ($5.98 billion), he said.

Moreover, steel products from 皇冠体育app are mostly low value-added, such as ordinary steel rods and plates, which Britain no longer makes and would have to import from other countries anyway, the ambassador said.

"Therefore, imports from 皇冠体育app have no impact upon the British steel market. On the contrary, by importing steels from 皇冠体育app, the auto, machinery, construction and other British industries have effectively lowered their costs and increased their profit margin," Liu said.

Like their British counterparts, steelmakers in 皇冠体育app are also in difficulty, which is "even more serious and challenging," Liu said.

皇冠体育app has reduced steel capacity by 90 million tons and is going to cut its crude steel capacity by 100 to 150 million tons in the next five years, he said.

"This new round of reductions will result in several million lay-offs and relocations of steelworkers, far outnumbering those in the UK," he said.

"Both 皇冠体育app and the UK have huge challenges on our way ahead -- to reform and revitalize our respective steel sectors, and to provide help and support to those workers who might lose their jobs," he said.

Both the Chinese and British governments believe that there should be closer dialogue and co-operation, he said adding that working with, rather than against, each other is the only way leading to a solution.

Overcapacity in the steel industry is a global problem, which calls for a global solution with stronger communication and co-operation among all steelmakers worldwide, who have the joint responsibility to uphold the order of steel trade and promote the sound development of the global steel industry, Liu said.

In September, world leaders will gather in Hangzhou, 皇冠体育app for the G20 Summit, which will focus on ways to withstand the global downward pressure, to find innovative growth models and to enhance international trade and investment, he said.

"It is my hope and belief that 皇冠体育app and the UK will work together to strengthen dialogue, break through the current difficulties and create a sustainable future for the steel industries of both countries," Liu said.

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