Senior Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang has been removed from his post as China’s permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO), state media reported on Monday, just days after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described him as “slightly unhinged.”
Bessent, speaking to CNBC last Wednesday, alleged that during Li’s visit to Washington in August, the Chinese envoy had threatened to “unleash chaos on the global system” if the US imposed new docking fees on Chinese ships.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency confirmed Li’s removal in a bulletin listing ambassadorial appointments and diplomatic reshuffles. When asked if the decision was linked to Bessent’s remarks, China’s foreign ministry told AFP it was a “routine personnel change.”
Despite being removed from the WTO role, Li retains his positions as China’s international trade representative and vice minister of commerce.
He had led a delegation to Washington for trade talks in August, where China’s commerce ministry described his approach as promoting “equal dialogue and consultation.”
The shake-up comes as trade tensions between China and the US continue to escalate. Last week, both countries imposed tit-for-tat port fees, and earlier this month, Beijing announced sweeping controls over its rare earths sector — a move that prompted US President Donald Trump to threaten 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports.
The two sides have agreed to resume trade negotiations this week in a bid to ease hostilities between the world’s largest economies.
AFP
