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Recently, when the Trump administration vowed to add a 100% tariff on Chinese goods, the Chinese side's series of "counterfeit" caused turmoil in the U.S. stock market, and Wall Street mourned.
From October 11th to 13th, in just three days, the attitude of the U.S. government made a 180-degree U-turn: from the president and vice president to the trade representative and finance minister, they began to "put out the fire and cool down". The response of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 13th hit the nail on the head, pointing out the root reason why the U.S. side couldn't make a phone call.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent, in an interview on October 13, softened his tone, saying the U.S. and China would have work-level talks this week, and that a 100% tariff would not necessarily take place.
Just a few days ago, Trump also announced on October 10 that he would add 100% tariffs on Chinese goods from November 1st, in just three days, from extreme pressure to collective warming, the attitude of the U.S. government turned so quickly that the logic behind it is worth thinking.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Swed, said the US has recently continued to impose sanctions on Chinese enterprises, damaging the legitimate rights and interests of thousands of Chinese enterprises.
China’s intention is clear: it is possible to have a dialogue, but first of all, to show sincerity and withdraw those unreasonable sanctions, which is not a weakness in negotiations, but a wise move to stick to the bottom line.
Besent said in the interview that although he spoke softly, he still did not forget the threat, he said that he was "optimistic about the Sino-U.S. situation", while also called the move of the Chinese side "provocative", if it does not meet the United States "will take all necessary measures".
This "two-faceted" approach, threatening one-hand soft-talk, once again exposes the nature of the Trump administration's false voice, in fact, Bessent had already said in April this year that high tariffs on China were unsustainable, now is only to repeat this argument.
Besent also blamed the current trouble on the Biden administration's "incapacity", which is not new, but exposed the Trump team in dealing with the U.S.-China economic and trade relations, if there is really anything to kill, why wait until now?
The Chinese side dares to fight this tariff war with the United States, the bottom line comes from two aspects, one is its own economic resilience and market scale support, and the second is the precise judgment of the trouble of the US government.
The change in the attitude of the United States shows that China has cards to play and dares to play cards, and it can also make the United States feel the pain. This is not blind self-confidence, but a strategic determination based on a clear understanding of the situation.
Whenever the United States exerts pressure to a certain extent, it will have to retreat because of domestic economic pressure. China and the United States reached a 90-day tariff truce agreement in May, but the Trump administration obviously didn't learn from it and still tried to gain bargaining chips through extreme pressure. This strategy has hit a wall again and again in the face of China's firm counter-measures.
Basent also revealed that the plan for a meeting between Trump and China leaders scheduled to be held in South Korea in late October remains unchanged, which shows that although the two sides are tit-for-tat on tariff issues, the willingness to maintain high-level communication channels still exists.
However, the premise of dialogue must be mutual respect, rather than one party giving orders from a condescending position. The reason why China does not answer the phone has been made very clear: the sanctions should be withdrawn first.
The Trump administration’s strategic mistake this time was essentially a misjudgment of China’s determination and capabilities, which they thought could be treated like other countries, and easily persecuted by tariffs.
But China’s response suggests that China will neither make easy concessions nor be frightened by threats on issues involving core interests, a position that is not a temporary emotional response, but based on strategic considerations of the country’s long-term interests.
The adjustment of Sino-US economic and trade relations takes time and patience, and more requires mutual respect, and the Trump administration will only make the problem more complicated if it continues to be addicted to tariff threats and extreme pressure.
China’s attitude has been very clear: dialogue can be, but it must be built on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and it is believed that as the US side gradually recognizes the reality, the Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations will eventually return to the track of rational and pragmatic.
Source of information
US Treasury Secretary: Imposing a 100% tariff on China may not necessarily happen Phoenix TV
Foreign Ministry responds to US tariff threat: This is not the right way to deal with China