[Source / Observer Network Qi Qian] Trump has blinked again.
On April 23 local time, the US President said in the Oval Office of the White House that his administration may announce new tariff amounts for some trading partners "in the next two to three weeks," which "may include China."
According to on-site videos and the Hong Kong South China Morning Post, when asked how soon tariffs on China would be reduced, Trump responded by saying, "It depends on China." Previously, he had publicly stated that he was "optimistic" about reaching an agreement with China "quite quickly."
Then, Trump began to repeat clichés such as "America being defrauded and plundered." He claimed: "We have a very great country called America that has been suffering from plunder over the years... In fact, we have been plundered by almost all countries in the world, whether allies or enemies. But those days will never return."
Subsequently, Trump boasted that "90 countries" are lining up to negotiate tariffs with the United States.
"They all want to make deals, and we will make deals, but these deals will be fair deals," Trump continued to lament, claiming that the United States incurs huge losses every year, and no other country is like the United States. He also claimed that because of his massive tariff policies, the United States is now "almost balanced, or even better."
Trump stated: "In the next two to three weeks, we will determine the (tariff) amount. We are currently dealing with many countries."
When asked if this applies to China, Trump replied, "It may apply to China," but added, "Perhaps we will reach a special agreement, and we will see how things turn out. Currently, the tariff rate on China is 145%. This ratio is very high." He added that the United States hopes to set a "fair price" and complained that China is being "very unfair" to the United States.
On April 23, Trump said that he might modify the tariff amount on China. Video screenshot
In the interview, a reporter asked: "Has there been direct contact between China and the US?" Trump replied: "Of course, every day."
He did not elaborate further and only repeatedly urged China to visit Washington proactively. "I hope we can reach an agreement. Otherwise, we will set a price. I hope they can come, they can participate. But if they don't come, it's fine."
Finally, Trump reiterated that he has a "good relationship" with China, and "there is no doubt that we will get along well with China."
Regarding the Sino-US tariff negotiations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on April 23 that if the US side really wants to solve problems through dialogue, it should stop threats and blackmail, and conduct dialogue with China on the basis of equality, respect, and mutual benefit. While talking about reaching an agreement with China, if the US continues to exert maximum pressure, this is not the right way to deal with China, and it won't work.
On April 23, Trump answered questions from reporters at the White House. Tweet screenshot
Before Trump made the above remarks, earlier on April 23, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is considering significantly reducing tariffs on China, with cuts possibly exceeding half. Once the news was released, US stocks quickly rallied.
The report cited sources saying that US tariffs on China may be reduced to around 50% to 65%. It was revealed that Trump has yet to make a final decision, and multiple options are under consideration, including adopting a "tiered taxation" approach for China.
The South China Morning Post mentioned that due to this news and Trump's decision not to dismiss the Federal Reserve Chairman Powell, US stocks rose that day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 Index both closed more than 1% higher, while the Nasdaq Index rose more than 2.5%.
Trump has wielded the tariff stick globally and repeatedly changed his stance: first initiating a tariff war against the world, then suddenly pausing the "reciprocal tariff" for 90 days after global stock market tremors, while targeting China. Later, Trump raised tariffs on China multiple times. US tariffs on China increased from an initial 20%, to 54%, then 104%, 125%, and recently reached 145%.
China firmly retaliated. On April 9, China announced countermeasures, raising the additional tariff rate on all imports from the US to 84%, which took effect at 12:01 PM on April 10. On the 11th, China announced raising the tariff to 125%. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce simultaneously pointed out that the excessive tariffs imposed by the US have become a numbers game; if this continues, China will not respond.
Regarding the current deadlock in Sino-US tariff standoff, some US media likened this tariff war to a "blink game" (also known as a "coward's game"), suggesting that whoever blinks first loses. Clearly, Trump has "blinked" several times already.
In just a few days, Trump has softened his stance on Chinese imports more than once.
On April 17, when asked about the so-called "ongoing negotiations" with China, Trump said he believed there was still "ample" time to reach an agreement and expected positive results. "I think the entire negotiation could be completed in the next three to four weeks."
A few days later, on April 22, US Treasury Secretary Beasant was exposed as admitting to investors that the current deadlock in the Sino-US tariff standoff is "unsustainable." On the same day, Trump stated that he would not take a "hard line" against China during tariff negotiations and expressed "optimism" about reaching an agreement "quite quickly," significantly reducing the 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
On April 22, Trump said he would not be tough on China. Video screenshot
Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek finance minister, told the Observer Network that Trump weaponized tariffs, which goes beyond a simple US-China confrontation or US-EU博弈.本质上是美国统治阶级为维护自身权力、强化全球霸权地位而采取的主动策略。
他提醒道：“如果这种策略需要以美国民众承受重大代价为前提，他们仍会毫不犹豫地推进。因此，我想给中国朋友的忠告是：不要误判形势，认为当美国自身痛苦达到临界点时，特朗普政府就会退缩。”他强调，只有当美国统治阶级承受的代价足够惨重时，政策才会转向——这才是决定事态发展的终极标准。
Varoufakis also pointed out that if the Trump administration insists on isolationism, China is gaining a historic opportunity: by building multilateral mechanisms serving all humanity, it can not only reduce the risk of a new Cold War but also win support from the Global South, and even help Europe avoid falling into the dilemma of strategic neglect.
He said, "This is the strategic initiative that China holds — countering American unilateralism with multilateralism, avoiding the escalation of a new Cold War and reshaping the global governance pattern. If this move is executed well, it will completely change the balance of world power."
This article is an exclusive article of the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496678335754404352/
Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by clicking the "Like/Dislike" button below.