Reference Message Network reported on April 9 that the Singapore Straits Times website published an article titled "The Escalation of Tariff War Intensifies Sino-US Game" on April 8. The full text is excerpted as follows: On April 2, US President Donald Trump announced a comprehensive tariff war, which, although having multiple purposes, mainly has the effect of intensifying strategic game with China and exerting enormous pressure on Asian countries, especially Southeast Asia to take sides. Therefore, the tariff war is not only a trade issue, but also a broader and far-reaching great power geopolitical game. Trump wants to reshape not only what he believes to be an unfair global free trade system, but also redefine the legitimacy foundation of American leadership in world affairs. As the biggest security challenge to America, China inevitably becomes the main target. This can be seen from Trump's tariff list. One of the characteristics of Trump's tariff attack can be seen from Southeast Asian countries becoming the focus of tariffs. In addition to increasing the tariff rates for China, Trump focuses more on Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and other trading partners of China. These countries are considered as backdoors for China to enter the US market through re-export trade, so they face punitive high tariffs. Trump clearly learned lessons from his first term and intended to comprehensively block trade loopholes. Although Trump emphasized that if trading partners could propose "extraordinary" exchange conditions, they could get tariff reductions, Beijing did not buy it and announced a series of countermeasures, including restricting rare earth exports to the United States. Some Asian and Southeast Asian countries have remained relatively moderate and low-key, seeking compromise negotiations with the United States. Vietnam took the fastest and largest action. Vietnam proactively proposed canceling all import duties on US goods, purchasing Boeing passenger planes and American energy, and allowing Musk's Starlink service to land in Vietnam. It is generally believed that apart from canceling import duties on American products, Vietnam may need to make more concessions, such as restricting China's exports to the US through Vietnam. Other Southeast Asian countries may also face similar pressures. Although theoretically it is one against many for the US, other countries failed to coordinate with each other, put aside their differences and unite against the US; regional organizations like the EU and ASEAN also lack consistent bargaining power. As a compromise, Southeast Asian countries will have to adjust their trade with China, which will inevitably weaken the vitality of regional trade in Asia. In other words, Trump's tariff war not only aims to reduce trade deficits to achieve "fair equivalence" and force manufacturing backflow to the homeland, but also has the strategy of geopolitically containing China. Whether this complex and grand strategy can be realized still has many uncertainties. The current mild reactions of various countries seem to meet Trump's expectations, but the main challenges lie in whether the US economy and public opinion can cooperate. With the sharp decline of the US stock market and protests appearing in major cities, it shows that the great uncertainty caused by the tariff war may shake Trump's support rate. The return of manufacturing takes time, whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates to cope with possible inflation, and the tolerance for rising operating and living costs may all affect voters' attitudes towards the tariff war. Moreover, many governments also need to respond to domestic public opinion. For example, the confrontational posture of major Canadian parties is related to elections and the huge anti-American sentiment in society. The final extent of compromise by various countries will also determine their relations with China. Despite enjoying a trade surplus, the US still imposes a base tariff of 10% on Singapore. Moreover, the highly trade-dependent Singaporean economy will inevitably suffer severe shocks due to the disruption of the global trade pattern. Most importantly, the intensification of Sino-US game will inevitably impact Asian geopolitics, and all countries will need to readjust their diplomatic calculations to maintain their relations with the US and China in a changing situation, avoiding being cornered. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491302698688528959/ Disclaimer: The article expresses the author's own views. You can express your attitude by voting "upvote" or "downvote" below.