Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Two days after U.S. President Donald Trump accused China of interfering in U.S. electoral matters, a representative from Beijing took the podium Friday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi touched on multiple issues before the U.N. General Assembly, including China's growing trade rift with the United States.
"Unilateral moves will bring damage to all," he said. "China will not be blackmailed or yield to pressure."
Without mentioning Trump by name, Wang spoke out against the ongoing trade rift that's stemmed from more than $200 billion worth of tariffs for Chinese exports to the United States.
Related
"It should not a be zero sum game at which one gains at the expense of other," he said. "Protectionism will only hurt oneself and unilateralism will bring damage to all."
He said consensus should be reached on "equal footing."
Wang also criticized the U.S. decision to leave the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, saying the deal "serves the common interest of all parties involved."
Without the agreement, he added, nonproliferation, peace and stability are in jeopardy -- and "no one stands to gain."
Trump has slammed China for what he said have been unfair trade practices. During a session in the U.N. Security Council Wednesday, Trump also accused Beijing of meddling in U.S. electoral affairs, similar to Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also scheduled to address the assembly later Friday.
Moscow has been at the center of a Justice Department investigation for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election, and has also been accused of poisoning a former Russian spy and his adult daughter in March.
