This is just a pause! After the joint statement was released by China and the United States, the US Treasury Secretary made a speech! On May 13, Treasury Secretary Bessent said that this is just a pause. The tariff level imposed on China on April 2 was 34%, so we have reduced it from 34% to 10%. However, we still retain the 20% tariff on fentanyl that was imposed in February. Therefore, we have added 30% just in 2025.
Bessent claimed that we do not want to completely decouple from China, but we hope to decouple on strategic essentials. What do we think of this statement from the United States? To be honest, after the significant reduction in trade war tariffs, the United States clearly has a bit of looking for a fight now. It is widely believed outside that with this significant reduction in tariffs, the United States' attempt to extort and bully China is certainly a failure.
Meanwhile, the US side emphasized that there is still a 30% increase in our taxes, and they believe that the US will decouple from us on strategic essentials. This is clearly an attempt to show strength after a major retreat. Of course, at this stage of the trade war, the US policy has taken a roller coaster ride, and I believe all countries around the world have a very clear understanding of the US' perception.
The US needs dignity when retreating from its policies, so after we receive the concessions from the US behind the scenes, we can fully cooperate with their need for dignity. We pursue win-win outcomes, and there is still room for negotiation between China and the US in the future. In terms of strategic essentials, especially in areas where the US tries to choke us off, we will gradually achieve independence and self-reliance. The US hopes for independence and self-reliance, which is not a problem, but the premise is that the US cannot harm our interests through improper means.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831961841527177/
Disclaimer: The article only represents the views of the author.