愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Yellen warns Europeans about working with China, urges unity

Share
BRUSSELS -

Even as Western allies grapple with how to counter Russia's assault on Ukraine, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Tuesday that they also must take a wary and united approach to checking China and its business practices.

"We have a common interest in incentivizing China to refrain from economic practices that have disadvantaged all of us," Yellen said in a speech to the Brussels Economic Forum.

"These practices range from those affecting trade and investment, to development and climate policies, to approaches to provide debt relief to countries facing unsustainable debt burdens," she added.

Yellen was in Brussels ahead of a meeting of finance ministers for the Group of Seven leading economies in Bonn, Germany.

She also met Tuesday with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Yellen said they discussed "critical issues related to energy security, Ukraine's economic needs, and continued coordination to impose sanctions on Russia."

Yellen has spoken at length about China's financing practices in Africa, which has seen a massive influx of Chinese investment. She has recently called on China explicitly to end its relationship with Russia.

"We have a set of common vulnerabilities that we should address," Yellen said to her European audience.

"And China is more likely to respond favourably if it cannot play one of us off against the other," she said. "The Biden administration believes that co-operation of this kind will be more effective than the unilateralism that we saw in the not-too-distant past."

Yellen's visit to Europe -- she spent time in Poland before her stop in Brussels -- is meant to address the effects of the war in Ukraine, an international tax plan she negotiated with more than 130 countries last year and an energy crisis contributing to high inflation worldwide.

The mounting costs of the war are a cause of concern for the G7 finance ministers.

She said that despite funding efforts from the U.S. and its European allies, "what's clear is that the bilateral and multilateral support announced so far will not be sufficient to address Ukraine's needs, even in the short term."

She urged partner nations "to join us in increasing their financial support to Ukraine."

Yellen also spoke about the need to implement a global minimum tax of 15% on multinational corporations. It's meant to deter global companies from stashing profits in countries where they pay little or no taxes.

"This agreement will halt a decadeslong race to the bottom in corporate taxation around the globe -- a competition that has proven self-defeating," she said.

On Monday, Yellen met with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki about tightening sanctions against Russia and pressed for participation in the tax deal that Poland has blocked so far.

It got final approval at a meeting of the Group of 20 economies last October, but Polish officials have questioned if the tax will actually apply to online giants and insists that it does.

------

Hussein reported from Washington

____

Get in touch

Do you have any questions about the attack on Ukraine? Email dotcom@bellmedia.ca.

  • Please include your name, location, and contact information if you are willing to speak to a journalist with 愛污传媒.
  • Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

BREAKING

BREAKING

Four people are dead following a fiery crash in downtown Toronto that happened overnight on Lake Shore Boulevard.

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

Stay Connected