Seeing American farmers in turmoil, Trump once again made grand promises, claiming that as long as he meets with China, American agricultural products can smoothly enter the Chinese market. Upon hearing this, Americans were not satisfied, because the previous big promise from Trump has yet to be fulfilled.

Trump's Grand Promises

Recently, Trump told reporters at the White House that he would make the issue of soybeans one of the main topics during his meeting with China. As soon as he takes action, China will immediately agree to import American soybeans. In plain terms, it means that American farmers need to wait a little longer, and this issue will be resolved shortly.

However, China has not confirmed the news of meeting with Trump, and his statement was questioned as self-promotion, just a way to pass the time. Therefore, Trump's move immediately triggered strong dissatisfaction among American farmers, who believe that Trump has not yet come up with a substantive solution, and even the previous promised agricultural subsidies have not been seen.

American Soybeans

According to the original plan, the U.S. government should have announced a $1.3 billion agricultural aid program on October 7. However, since September 26, due to a budget allocation deadlock between Congress and the White House, parts of the federal government have been paralyzed, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for distributing agricultural subsidies.

Now, the U.S. government shutdown has entered its second week, and the two parties still haven't reached an agreement, meaning that the so-called agricultural subsidies will be indefinitely postponed. For farmers, the delay in subsidy distribution is far more than just "delaying payment for a few days." Many American farmers have openly stated in interviews that this is not relief but life-saving money, which they urgently need for circulation.

More seriously, this shutdown exposed the systemic vulnerability of the U.S. agricultural policy. This kind of "blood transfusion" relief is inherently unsustainable, and the interruption caused by the shutdown directly led to the stagnation of the supply chain dependent on subsidies. The previous big promise has not been fulfilled yet, and now Trump has made another grand promise, but American farmers are gradually losing patience.

American Citizens Demonstrating

Farmer Gavner from Illinois told CBS, an American media outlet, that farmers do not want subsidies, but normal trade. If the United States does not quickly ease relations with China, once China establishes stable supply chains with other countries, even if U.S.-China relations recover, it will be difficult for American soybeans to open the Chinese market again.

Looking back at the soybean crisis, the trade policies of the Trump administration are to blame. It was the United States that first imposed tariffs. Previously, Trump proposed a so-called "two-pronged approach" to rescue the situation: one is to negotiate with China to regain orders; the other is to use tariff revenue to subsidize American soybean farmers. So far, both of these plans have encountered serious obstacles in implementation.

U.S. Soybean Exports to China Dropped to Zero

It is worth noting that Trump's confident claims may face cold water. Recent data show that Brazil's exports of soybeans, beef, and other agricultural products have surged, with China being the largest market. Under the premise that China's diversified import strategy has achieved significant results, what makes Trump believe that China will readily accept the U.S. "request"?

China has clearly stated that removing the tariffs is the prerequisite for resuming purchases. If the U.S. cancels the unreasonable tariffs, Sino-U.S. trade cooperation may be possible. If Trump wants to use tariffs as a bargaining chip, China will not accept it. Time is on China's side. American farmers cannot wait, and Trump's performance cannot wait either. However, China's warehouses are full, channels are open, and strategies are clear.

China is not waging a trade war, but a strategic protracted war. Instead of making empty speeches here, Trump should better reflect on how to reconcile with China and solve this critical problem.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559481861292032564/

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