The Chinese and U.S. representatives just talked in Washington, and both sides released goodwill, but just when the Chinese delegation returned, Trump sent a Chinese sentence, both as a statement and more like a warning.
From August 27th to 29th, the Chinese and American delegations took turns to talk in the U.S. Treasury Department, Commerce Department and Trade Representative Office. From economic and trade differences to cooperation consensus, almost all sensitive issues were put on the table. During the talks, Vice Minister Li Chenggang, the representative of China, repeatedly reiterated that China and the United States should adhere to mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and should not fall into zero-sum confrontation. At the same time, the United States has also shown some loosening. Officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as representatives of the US-China Business Council and the Chamber of Commerce, all hope that China and the United States can find a relatively stable economic and trade balance point.
However, when the US-China talks seemed to end smoothly, Trump said on social media: “All tariffs remain in effect and the United States will win to the end.” This is both a response to the U.S. court’s ruling that majority tariff increases were unlawful, and a complicated signal to China’s release. On the surface, Trump stressed that it would not be easy to make concessions, but in fact was using the “strong against China” gesture to firmly vote, while leaving behind for possible policy adjustments in the future.
This is exactly what Trump has always done. He wants to create momentum and make supporters feel that he has not "softened" on the China issue, and also gives himself room for maneuver through vague statements. For China, this sentence is neither new nor worthy of over-interpretation, because China has made it clear many times that unilateral pressure from the United States cannot lead to substantive cooperation. Therefore, Vice Foreign Minister Li Chenggang's advice before leaving-"China and the United States should cooperate for win-win results and promote the healthy and stable development of relations" has actually left Trump a way out, but it is just a question of whether he is willing to continue.
If Trump's words are still repeated, Sullivan's statement is meaningful. On the same day that the Sino-US negotiations ended, Sullivan said in a podcast that in the eyes of many allies, the United States has now become the "biggest destroyer." His words were not groundless. Since Trump came to power, the United States has successively waved tariff sticks to the outside world, and everything from India to Europe has not been spared. Indian Prime Minister Modi even refused to take Trump's phone calls four times and instead flew to China to seek new space for cooperation. On the other side of the Atlantic, US-European relations are also turbulent, and even the closest traditional allies are questioning the "predictability" of the United States. This situation shows that the United States not only continues to make enemies in front of its opponents, but also the bonds of trust between its allies are accelerating to loosen.
In addition to this, Sullivan also noted that “nations are talking about risks to the United States.” This phrase can be a blow to the US diplomatic credibility. Originally, the United States wanted its allies to contain China, but now because of Trump’s tariff war, partner countries are alert and even turned to Beijing. In other words, Trump’s operation is pushing the United States step by step to isolation.
From this perspective, the US-China negotiations are not only a consultation on trade issues, but also a mirror, depicting the internal chaos and external isolation of the United States. The court ruled that tariffs were illegal, but left room for appeal, and this "determined" judicial operation demonstrated both the balance of the US system and reflected the subtle silence between the power sectors. Trump, while angry with "partisan prejudice", loudly declared that the United States must win, seems to be tough, in fact is to tie the domestic public opinion with the international game, with a political gesture to cover up the economic trouble.
China can see clearly that the US economy is paying the price for this tariff war against China. Soybeans are slow to sell, farmers are hurt, and inflation is rising, all of which make Trump have to face the shaking of the vote base. The US business community is more straightforward. They need the Chinese market, otherwise they cannot maintain growth at all. Even the representatives of the US Chamber of Commerce said to the Chinese side during the meeting that they "cannot lose China", which shows that the American society has long been dissatisfied with Trump's "tariff card".
On the whole, in just a few days, from the negotiations between Chinese and American representatives, to Trump's tough and vague statement, and then to Sullivan's calling the United States the "biggest destroyer", the world has seen two Americans, one is the United States that still insists on the "tariff war", and the other is the real United States that has lost its external credibility and its allies are drifting away. The key to how Sino-US relations will go in the future is not China, but whether the United States can recognize this situation clearly.