By Sanxuan

Recently, the Sino-US tariff war has escalated again. Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on China in retaliation for China's rare earth export control measures. The US Treasury Secretary hinted that if China takes a step back and postpones the relevant plans, the US might also extend the date of tariff implementation.

US Treasury Secretary Bassett

It is clearly the US who started the unreasonable trouble first, yet it demands China to make concessions. How can this be justified in the world? Regarding the US proposal, the Foreign Ministry responded that China has repeatedly made its position and bottom line clear, while it is the US that, during negotiations, still resorts to threats and intimidation, showing no sincerity at all.

Moreover, China has repeatedly stated that implementing rare earth export controls is for national interests and not targeting any particular country, hoping that the US would not take it personally. However, the US's tariff threats directly target China, which cannot be compared with China's actions.

As for Bassett, he shows two different faces at will, making harsh statements one moment and trying to cool down the tariff war the next. Not long ago, he even claimed that China's control over rare earth exports aims to "drag the whole world down," revealing his sinister intentions clearly.

However, the facts are right in front of our eyes. Not only do other countries not think so, but even Americans themselves don't believe that. On the very day he made that statement, CNN published an article refuting Bassett's claim, stating that the resurgence of Sino-US tensions was mainly due to Trump.

China's Response

The article outlines the timeline of major recent events between the US and China, pointing out that the trigger for the renewed tariff war was the US Department of Commerce expanding export controls on Chinese companies at the end of last month. The list of Chinese companies sanctioned by the US was further expanded, reaching thousands, and as a countermeasure, China subsequently announced restrictions on rare earth exports.

Then the Trump administration became uneasy, because rare earths are the most needed by the US, and China's countermeasures precisely targeted their pain points, hence the subsequent series of threats.

There is no denying that compared to the tariff war, the US sanctions on Chinese companies are not a big move. Before Trump took office, similar small moves had never stopped.

But China will not accept such an attitude. The US cannot negotiate while engaging in underhanded tricks. Pretending not to understand won't work.

Angry and Embarrassed

Therefore, China took decisive countermeasures to express our position through action: If you want to talk, do it openly and honestly, not behind the scenes. China's patience has limits.

It should be noted that Sino-US interactions have lasted more than half a year. All that needs to be said has been said, but the Trump administration still hasn't realized the seriousness of the issue, treating national affairs as a joke. They want to play, but China doesn't need to follow along.

CNN pointed out that after the Geneva talks, Sino-US tariff negotiations showed promising signs, and there was hope to reach an agreement and end the tariff war. But not long after, Trump didn't give up and introduced a series of measures against China, including sanctioning Huawei chips and targeting Chinese students.

Every subsequent negotiation follows this pattern. Each time progress is made, it gets pushed back to square one. As a result, no substantive agreement has been reached between the US and China, and they have only extended the tariff suspension period, continuing the stalemate.

Trump Obstructing Sino-US Negotiations

In CNN's view, China's enhanced control over rare earth exports is a reasonable and equal countermeasure, not like the US's excessive demands. Therefore, all the accusations from the Trump administration against China are baseless.

Naturally, it's too much to expect reasonableness from Trump. Hope the US will be cautious and think carefully before acting. Don't come up with ideas on a whim. It's how the US's credibility is wasted away.



Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7561750180404478464/

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