BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — China seeks to safeguard and enhance the liberal international order, not threaten it, a think tank expert told Xinhua, refuting the view of some American politicians.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, said the remarks labeling China a menace to the liberal international order was untenable.

China has been a beneficiary, contributor and opportunity creator of the liberal international order, he noted.

He said after joining the World Trade Organization, China’s gross domestic product has rocketed from 11 trillion yuan (about 1.59 trillion dollars) in 2001 to over 90 trillion yuan in 2018, lifting 800 million Chinese people out of poverty.

Over the process, China has also contributed to the world prosperity by becoming a powerful growth engine of the world economy and the largest trade partner of 130-strong countries and regions, Wang noted.

Moreover, China is the second-largest donor to the United Nations and the UN peacekeeping projects. In addition, China has contributed more than 70 percent to the global poverty reduction rate and China is committed to the Paris Agreement while Washington has backed off.

On May 9, Wang and his debate partner Kishore Mahbubani, a public policy professor of the National University of Singapore, won the Munk Debates about “Is China a threat to the liberal international order.”

During the debates, Wang and his partner managed to have some audience change their negative attitude toward China when it comes to the country’s relations with the liberal international order.

In an interview with Xinhua, Wang said China has created enormous opportunities for other countries’ development.

The United States, for instance, has founded more than 70,000 companies in China by the end of 2018 with sales revenue reaching 700 billion U.S. dollars, far above the so-called U.S. trade deficit with China.

Citing a World Bank report, he said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China is expected to help lower global trade costs by 1.1 percent to 2.2 percent once all the BRI transport infrastructure projects are completed.

Wang said the “threat” argument was created intentionally by Washington as an excuse to suppress China’s development.

“Stuck in the Thucydides’ trap mentality, some American politicians are trying to hamper China’s development, hoping to maintain its competitive edge and monopoly position on technology,” he said.

“The United States itself is becoming the threat to the liberal international order,” he said.

On the contrary, China acts as the defender, facilitator and active advocator of the liberal international order. China’s peaceful development is in line with the interests of all countries, Wang noted.