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In recent days, the world's attention has once again focused on Sino-US relations.

On September 14th, in the capital of Spain, Madrid, a closed-door meeting that was highly anticipated quietly began.

This was the fourth round of trade negotiations between China and the United States. The delegations from both countries arrived at the venue from different directions. US Treasury Secretary Bensons led his team and arrived early, while the Chinese delegation followed later.

Due to the importance of this meeting, the local government made detailed arrangements for security and traffic. Security personnel in Madrid were already in place early in the morning, controlling several streets around the meeting location to prevent any accidents.

Madrid

This round of talks, like previous ones, was conducted behind closed doors, so the outside world could not enter the meeting or hear the dialogue between the two sides.

Reporters outside could only wait near the venue and observe the expressions of the representatives during the break to guess what happened inside.

After the first session of the meeting on that day, US Treasury Secretary Bensons walked out of the venue with a serious face, frowning, and said, "We will continue the negotiations tomorrow morning," then left quickly.

From the literal meaning of these words and his expression, it seems that the talks did not go smoothly, or neither side was willing to back down.

Those who know about previous rounds of Sino-US negotiations know that the previous meetings in Geneva, London, and Sweden were also in a "head-to-head" situation, with tension so high that it could be cut with a knife.

From the look on the US Treasury Secretary's face, it seems that there was no miracle this time either.

Treasury Secretary Bensons

However, what makes things more interesting is that while the two delegations were engaged in heated discussions at the table, Trump suddenly posted a long article on his social platform, and the content was unexpectedly "gentle," which surprised many American netizens.

We know that Trump usually loudly proclaims "America is the greatest" and claims "we lead the world" wherever he goes. But this time, he surprisingly admitted that many areas in the US are no longer as good as they used to be.

In his article, he mentioned that the US was once a leader in many industries such as shipbuilding, computer manufacturing, and train production. It used to be able to build one ship a day, but now it can't even build one a year; many technologies that Americans used to do themselves are now being learned from other countries.

He also said that the US welcomes foreign companies to bring investment and technical expertise to the US and to train American workers. He believes that as long as they learn, the US will soon be able to do better than others.

This statement is a big contrast to his usual style. Previously, he always said other countries should learn from the US, but now he is saying the opposite, asking other countries to teach him, and actively showing favor to foreign companies.

That's why many American netizens say he has changed.

Trump

However, after thinking calmly, can these ideas of his really be realized? Looking at the current US policies, his wishes seem overly optimistic.

The US immigration system has always been strict, and the visa review for foreign technicians is complicated and involves many security checks. How many foreign companies would want to bring their core technologies to the US to train local workers?

It's possible that they might not even learn the technology, but instead create a new competitor. Who would want to do such a "losing business"?

Therefore, although Trump's ideas sound nice, there are too many practical obstacles.

More interestingly, he specifically mentioned the shipbuilding industry in this long article and used the example of how the US used to build one ship a day.

Those familiar with international affairs understand that this is clearly a reference to China.

China's shipbuilding industry

In recent years, China's development in the shipbuilding industry has been noticeable. Whether it's commercial ships, cargo ships, or warships, its production volume and speed have surprised the West.

In contrast, the US shipbuilding industry has shrunk for decades, with very few large shipyards. The military often lacks ships when trying to expand the fleet, forcing the Pentagon to emphasize "we do not seek direct conflict with China."

The real reason behind this is that the US cannot bear the high cost and long cycle of large-scale shipbuilding. For Trump, this is an urgent issue.

This fourth round of negotiations in Madrid is also closely related to these industrial backgrounds.

On one hand, Trump wants to quickly reach an agreement with China to find an exit, ending the "reciprocal tariff war" that has lasted for several years.

After all, this trade friction affects both sides, but particularly impacts certain sectors in the US, especially the rising prices of consumer goods, which have caused complaints among many American voters.

On the other hand, he is also conflicted, unsure whether to take a "softer approach" or a "hard push" to get China to sign.

He thinks China doesn't respond to threats, but he is unwilling to just negotiate without pressure, so he talks while applying pressure to China.

US shipbuilding industry

Before the start of this round of talks, the US Department of Commerce announced sanctions against 23 Chinese companies, covering multiple fields such as technology and shipping.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce immediately retaliated a few hours later by launching an anti-dumping investigation into relevant chip products from the US.

It can be said that before entering the meeting room, both sides had already exchanged blows in terms of momentum, making the negotiation atmosphere even more tense.

If it were the personality of Trump in his first term, he might have directly made tough statements, even stopping the negotiations. But now, he clearly dares not to confront directly anymore.

The reason is simple: on one hand, the US domestic economy and industrial chain are under great pressure, with many industries lacking people and technology;

On the other hand, he wants to bring more allies to "surround" China, but it turns out to be difficult.

During these days, he called on the EU, G7, and NATO to join him in imposing tariffs of 50% to 100% on Chinese goods, pushing China to the negotiation table.

But the result was embarrassing. None of these allied countries responded positively. They all have their own economic calculations, and most countries are not interested in such a "killing a thousand, injuring eight hundred" tariff against China.

As a result, his plan to "add another" turned out to be a fantasy, and in the end, he still has to face China alone.

Therefore, from the current situation, it is likely that the talks in Madrid will continue for several more rounds.

The first day of the talks dragged on from morning until evening, lasting six hours, but the two sides didn't even issue a joint statement, indicating that neither side is ready to give in easily.

They will continue to negotiate, and the final result may come out late at night or even the next day.

China has always maintained a firm attitude in such situations, emphasizing mutual benefit and equal consultation, and will not easily compromise just because the other side looks unpleased.

On the contrary, China emphasizes patience. If they can reach an agreement, they will, but if not, they won't be afraid.

After all, over the past few years, China has faced off with the US in various contexts, whether in trade, technology, or geopolitics. Each time, China has dealt with it calmly, without haste or anxiety.

Looking at the US side, they actually know well that if they completely break up, a full-blown trade war would escalate, and American consumers would pay a higher price, inflation could continue to rise, and public support for him could waver.

Trump's current shift, acknowledging that the US needs to learn from others, may also be due to the pressure of reality.

He still speaks confidently, often saying he wants to "surpass others," but in fact, he has started to realize that the US's competitiveness is not maintained by stubbornness alone, but requires real efforts to make up for the shortcomings.

Every step of the upcoming Sino-US negotiations will attract the attention of the entire world, and the story has just entered the second half.

——THE END——

References: Guangzhou Daily — Sino-US Talks Begin in Madrid, Spain

Timedao — Suddenly Sanctioned! The US Government Will Re-add 23 Chinese Entities to the "Blacklist", the Total Number Has Exceeded Thousands

China News — Ministry of Commerce Answers Questions on Initiating Anti-Dumping Investigations on Certain Simulated Chips Imported from the US

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7550133358513144330/

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