[Source/Observation Network by Ruan Jiaqi]
In the face of frequent posturing by the U.S. in trade negotiations with China, China has always adhered to its principles and firmly refused to be led by the U.S. rhythm.
On April 24, The Washington Post reported that although recent statements from the Trump administration regarding China have shown a trend of "cooling down," releasing more moderate signals of reconciliation to seek a rapid resolution of the trade dispute with China, China has not followed suit with U.S. intentions but has ignored this self-made step-down behavior by the U.S., instead maintaining a calm attitude while waiting for Washington to clarify its specific demands. In practice, China has demonstrated its firm stance of "if the U.S. wages a tariff war, China will see it through."
Media observers have noticed that China's actions against U.S. trade bullying continue and have not relaxed due to the U.S.'s softened tone. Facing the absurd three-digit American tariffs, China has paused the acceptance of new Boeing aircraft orders, reduced the purchase volume of American soybeans, and suspended shipments of Chinese-made goods to U.S. buyers. China's exports of key raw materials such as rare earth minerals to the U.S. have also continued to decline.
At the official statement level, the Chinese Foreign Ministry solemnly denied rumors of contact and negotiation between China and the U.S. during its latest response on Thursday, emphasizing once again that Beijing will not negotiate under pressure from the U.S. and that dialogue must be equal, respectful, and mutually beneficial. This leaves no room for the U.S. to put on an act.
Professor Chen Zhiwu of the University of Hong Kong told the South China Morning Post that Trump's claim of "an imminent trade agreement between China and the U.S." is consistent with his usual style of making things up out of thin air. "In reality, there has been no substantive progress or change in the tariff negotiations between China and the U.S. Trump's move is just a way to send a signal."
"The more he says this, the clearer it shows how desperate the U.S. side is. At present, Trump and his team are under pressure, while China has not shown any signs of impatience," he added.
On April 23 local time, Trump spoke in the Oval Office at the White House. U.S. media video screenshot.
The Washington Post analysis pointed out that China's tough stance demonstrates its determination not to compromise with the U.S. even when facing economic challenges. Recent positive economic data in China has further strengthened its resolve to stand firm and take bold action.
The report indicates that recent signs show that China's economic stimulus measures launched at the end of last year are starting to take effect, with China's GDP growing by 5.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, exceeding expectations.
On April 16, Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics of China, stated at a press conference that the high tariffs imposed by the U.S. would bring certain pressures to China's economy and foreign trade, but he emphasized that this "cannot change the overall positive long-term trend of China's economy."
Andy Rothman, CEO of Sinology, a consulting company based in California, bluntly told U.S. media that any decision-makers in Washington who believe that China's economy has suffered serious damage are seriously misjudging the situation.
"China's ability to withstand the pain brought by the tariff war is stronger than that of the U.S.," Rothman then asked a soul-searching question: "Do Americans have so many consumer goods but no ready substitutes? Would they be willing to pay twice as much for their children's shoes? Do they have the capability?"
The article also mentioned the issue of Boeing aircraft deliveries, which was one of the most closely watched manifestations of trade friction this week.
According to reports cited by Reference News, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed on April 23 that China had stopped accepting new aircraft due to the U.S.-China trade war. World's largest aircraft leasing company AerCap predicted that if the U.S. continues to impose tariffs, Boeing's market share will significantly shrink.
The Washington Post believes that this may affect the progress of China's development of its own large aircraft industry. However, in the view of Mayur Patel, regional sales director at OAG Aviation, China will not sit idly by.
"The Chinese have their own ambitions. I wouldn't rule out any possibility," he reminded. "When they start自主研发 (self-develop), they will take it very seriously."
In the context of the Trump administration's urgent push for trade negotiations, The Washington Post also noted that China has accelerated diplomatic contacts with Southeast Asia and other trading partners, hoping to build a united front against U.S. unilateral bullying.
The EU has stated that it refuses to join forces with the U.S. to "isolate China." On April 22, the EU side said that U.S.-EU tariff negotiations are unrelated to Sino-European relations, and the EU's policy toward China will "remain unchanged." The EU will not decouple from China.
As Japan and the U.S. prepare for the second round of tariff talks, Bloomberg reported on April 24 that Japanese officials said that given the importance of Japan-China trade relations, Japan plans to resist any U.S. efforts to form a trade group targeting China, and does not want to be drawn into a "joint containment of China" in trade.
The global business community is also breaking the观望 (watch-and-wait) stance and casting "votes of confidence" in China through actions. Recently, companies from various industries such as automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals from Japan, Germany, the U.S., and other countries have announced new investments in China, including industry giants like Toyota, Nissan, Siemens, and BASF.
The U.S. tariff bullying is unpopular, and China's strong countermeasures are reasonable. China's position has always been very clear, repeatedly emphasizing that this tariff war was initiated by the U.S., and if the U.S. insists on fighting, China will see it through; if the U.S. wants to talk, the door remains open. If the U.S. really wants to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop threats and blackmail and conduct dialogue with China on an equal, respectful, and mutually beneficial basis.
As The New York Times said, recently, the White House has repeatedly hinted that China is seeking to initiate negotiations to find ways to terminate tariffs. However, the fact is that China's strategy seems to be quietly observing Trump's "performance," watching how painful he will feel after eating the bitter fruit he himself sowed.
This article is an exclusive contribution from Observation Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497139574674670095/
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