China has just made its move, and Trump revealed that an important friendly country of China has given in, reducing its tax on the US to zero.

Trump has ignited an "epic" tariff war, and China has responded. On April 4th, China threw out the "strongest" combination of measures worldwide, emphasizing a 34% tariff on all American goods. However, subsequently, Trump posted on his social media, claiming that an important ally of China had already backed down: tariffs on American goods would be reduced to zero. This ally happens to be Vietnam.< img src = "https://p3-sign.toutiaoimg.com/tos-cn-i-qvj2lq49k0/7aee3ae0add5444787865201ee55b6fa~tplv-tt-origin-web:gif.jpeg?_iz=58558&from=article.pc_detail&lk3s=953192f4&x-expires=1744421098&x-signature=SK%2FD0kEWL8v%2BdRQpCRnJoxKEvn8%3D"/ > Trump claimed that he had just spoken with Su Lin, a high-ranking official from Vietnam, who personally told him that Vietnam was willing to reduce its tariffs on American goods to zero if an agreement could be reached. Trump was very excited about Su Lin's statement and expressed his gratitude. At present, this matter has not been confirmed by Su Lin himself. Given Trump's tendency to be dishonest, it is difficult for us to know whether Su Lin actually said these words. But as I analyzed the other day, Vietnam's situation is indeed precarious. On one hand, this time Trump has been particularly harsh on Southeast Asian countries. The tariff on Vietnam is 46%, on Thailand it's 36%, and on Cambodia it's as high as 49%, which is higher than South Korea's 25% and Japan's 24%. On the other hand, Vietnam set an 8% economic growth target this year. For a country with a population just over 100 million, Vietnam is at a critical crossroads now. Due to the significant influence of both China and the U.S., some people even consider this a "life-or-death test" for Vietnam.< img src = "https://p26-sign.toutiaoimg.com/tos-cn-i-6w9my0ksvp/605a15f6a7c84c6bab00ea71b7a89ffb~tplv-tt-origin-web:gif.jpeg?_iz=58558&from=article.pc_detail&lk3s=953192f4&x-expires=1744421098&x-signature=yeALggKAQcbsqP%2Bug83PxRSp6kU%3D"/ > Considering the above two points, does Vietnam have no choice but to bow to the U.S.? Apparently not. In fact, Vietnam's high-ranking officials should clearly recognize three realities: The first reality is that softening to someone like Trump is useless. Before the tariff blow fell, Vietnam's high-ranking officials had already made multiple friendly gestures to the U.S., informing them in advance that they intended to lower tariffs on American goods and increase investment in the U.S. But none of this made the U.S. show them any mercy. Moreover, Israel is the best example. In early April, Netanyahu announced the cancellation of all tariffs on the U.S. But what happened? Israel still received a 17% tariff from the U.S. So even if Vietnam truly reduces tariffs to zero, it will be ineffective. The second reality is that Vietnam is not fighting alone; they should not give up hope prematurely. Currently, ASEAN countries are all looking for solutions, and even the EU is有意allying with ASEAN. Even Thailand, which is in a worse situation, has not backed down at all. Its female prime minister, Peetongtan, has already organized a delegation to negotiate with the U.S. to the end.< img src = "https://p3-sign.toutiaoimg.com/tos-cn-i-6w9my0ksvp/908968e81808494094f704fac97718ee~tplv-tt-origin-web:gif.jpeg?_iz=58558&from=article.pc_detail&lk3s=953192f4&x-expires=1744421098&x-signature=0CPgh5Z8CWnfTldwFa6jR%2FNG0KA%3D"/ > The third reality is that Vietnam should also see that China's combination of measures has already been implemented, with immediate results. On April 4th, the three major U.S. stock indices were still in free fall, with many wealthy elites in the U.S. unable to hold on. Harris and others, Trump's old opponents, were already criticizing him. At the same time, Trump's approval rating continued to decline. The U.S. media believes that the Republican Party will suffer a crushing defeat in the midterm elections. In this situation, how can Trump hold on by himself? Just with his words? In conclusion, we hope Vietnam can face reality. Trump is just "punishing" Vietnam as an important ally of China. A full surrender to the U.S. may not get Vietnam what it wants but will definitely result in significant losses. What do you think about this matter? Please feel free to discuss. Original article: < a href = "https://www.toutiao.com/article/7489587437681869347/" > https://www.toutiao.com/article/7489587437681869347/< / a > Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. You can express your opinion by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.