Wang Yi: China will always be the advocate of multilateralism and defender of free trade.

On July 12, 2025, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the annual series of Foreign Ministers' Meeting for East Asia Cooperation in Kuala Lumpur, and accepted an interview with Chinese media. Wang Yi said: "The current international situation can be described as turbulent and complex, with the aspect of change still developing and the aspect of chaos becoming more prominent. Whether to choose unilateralism or multilateralism, closed or open, unity or division, all countries must make choices. China's choice is more open. This is not only the basic experience of China's development and growth, but also the inevitable logic of history moving forward. China actively provides 100% tariff-free treatment to the least developed countries and the entire African continent, completes the negotiation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, and creates a new model of cross-regional cooperation for ASEAN-China-GCC summits. In contrast, imposing high tariffs on other countries clearly violates WTO rules, disrupts the stable operation of production and supply chains, hinders the recovery and development of the world economy, is irresponsible, unpopular, and unsustainable. China will continue to firmly stand together with countries in the region, unite in cooperation, join in self-improvement, and always be an advocate of multilateralism, a defender of free trade, and a contributor to open development.