At a time when relations between China and the United States were tense, and the Trump administration was frequently beaten by "heavy kick", the Chinese side did something that made the outside world unexpected - a letter of invitation quietly sent to U.S. allies.
On the surface, it was just an ordinary diplomatic move, but the signals were revealed. Probably more intriguing than directly “weighing the fist” on the Trump administration.
What calculation is China playing in this chess game? How will it affect the next situation?
On April 2, this year, the Trump administration officially Announced their "reciprocal tariff" policy.
The name sounds fair, and in fact it is to raise taxes on Chinese goods.
What's even more surprising is that, Trump has not just targeted China this time, not even his own old ironmen.
Traditional allies such as the European Union, Canada, Britain, Japan and Australia are all listed on the list of "enemies".
This operation is simply a six-party disapproval, and makes the "America's priority" exhaustive.
Politicians in Washington are very smart. They feel that with a wave of the economic stick, the world will have to obey.
Especially those small countries, faced with the temptation and threat of the American market, will definitely choose to side with the United States and isolate China.
Facing the aggressiveness of the United States, China's reaction surprised many people.
On April 23, China's delegate Fujin convened an informal meeting at the United Nations, with representatives from more than 80 countries gathered together.
This battle is not small, and even many traditional allies of the United States have come.
At the meeting, Fu Cong directly criticized the United States by name, saying that they used tariffs as weapons, which completely violated WTO rules.
This is very straightforward, without a diplomatic statement. It is to make the world clear who is undermining the international trade order.
The main theme of the meeting is clear: Oppose unilateral bullying and support multilateralism.
This is tantamount to giving the United States a "slap in the face" on the international stage, telling the whole world that China will not be intimidated, let alone bear pressure alone.
China's counterattack did not only depend on the mouth of the mouth, but also on practical actions.
From April to October, China implemented reciprocal tariff measures while exerting pressure on the United States in other aspects.
Rare earthThis card was hit out.
China restricts the export of key resources such as rare earth, and the U.S. high-tech industry can’t sit down.
To know, there is no rare earth, those advanced electronics and military-industrial products in the United States have to rest.
Control lists have also come in handy, some American companies are included, and if they want to do business in China, they have to re-examine their positions.
This move of "drawing salary from the bottom of the pot" has made many American companies feel real pressure.
More importantly, China has begun intensive trade talks with more than one of the EU, ASEAN and G20 countries.
such "Cast a wide net."The strategy is obviously to build an international trade network that does not rely on the United States.
From October 15 to 16, the China-Nordic Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum held in Wuhan became an important milestone.
More than 2000 companies from 30 countries participated in it, and a cooperation agreement was signed on site. The total amount exceeds 100 billion yuan.
This figure is no joke, it really reflects the attractiveness of the Chinese market.
As host country, Denmark also hosted the 24th Sino-Danish Economic and Trade Union Commission.
Denmark is a NATO member and an Iron Belt ally of the United States.
But now, talking so hotly with China, how does that upset the politicians in Washington?
The success of this forum fully illustrates one reason: In the face of economic interests, political expression often leaves way.
Enterprises and governments of all countries understand that cooperation with China can bring tangible benefits, while confrontation with the United States can only lead to both losses.
The most interesting thing is the change in attitude of the EU.
At first, the EU followed the pace of the United States and imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, but not long after, they resumed negotiations and sought a "constructive" solution.
This change clearly explains the problem.
EU found that Strong ties with China are not good for anyone., might as well sit down and talk about it and find a win-win solution.
After all, China's manufacturing added value accounts for 35% of the world, is the only country with the entire industrial chain, and this power lies there, no one can ignore.
The lessons of the tariff war in 2018 are still vivid in my mind.
At that time, 92.4% of the tariff costs were borne by the American people, and each average American household spent an additional $1300 a year.
This time, Trump wants to repeat the same trick, but ordinary people's wallets are already very hurt.
ASEAN has become China’s largest trading partner, while China’s share of exports to the United States is declining year by year.
This trend is obvious. China is successfully diversifying its trading partners and reducing its dependence on the American market.
2025 will be an important year such as the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Sweden and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-European relations.
China is cleverly using these commemorative nodes to strengthen relations with European countries, and this use of soft power is praiseworthy.
The U.S. attempted to marginalize countries through economic coercion, but it turned out to be counterproductive.
More and more countries have found that they can "de-risk" and find a new path to cooperate with China without being "anti-American".
This option offered by China is attractive: It is not necessary to openly confront the United States, but to enjoy the economic dividends of cooperation with China.
This "third road" let many countries be free of the burden, and they finally do not need to make a choice between China and the United States.
And America’s “not a friend is an enemy” binary thinking doesn’t work in today’s multi-polar world.
Every country has its own national interests to consider, and why should it act entirely in accordance with the will of the United States?
Through this crisis, China has not been isolated, but has won more friends. This is true diplomatic wisdom.
Source of information:
Official Statement of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Adjustment of Tariff Policy to China in 2025
Press Release of the Permanent Delegation of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations on the Multilateral Trade System Special Conference on April 23
Announcement of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China on Implementing Reciprocal Tariff Measures and Export Control Lists
Official Notice of the People's Government of Wuhan on the Results of the China-Nordic Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum in 2025
Report of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Resolution Body on U.S. Tariff Measures
Press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on a series of diplomatic activities on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-European relations
Statistical Bulletin on Foreign Trade and Manufacturing Data for the First Three Quarters of 2025 released by the National Bureau of Statistics