Singapore Lianhe Zaobao published an article on April 23, which read: "The US is China's No.1 customer, and China is the US' No.1 supplier. Both sides benefit from cooperation and get hurt from conflict. The business world has a basic common sense: one must take good care of their customers, even if they occasionally throw tantrums, suppliers don't have to lose their temper, and not lose sight of the bigger picture for small grievances. The Chinese export industry to the US involves millions of jobs, and including families and collaborators, it could reach tens of millions. People's interests are always paramount."
This view clearly misjudges China and overly accommodates the US, being utterly absurd. The article claims that the US is China's top customer and China needs to "take care" of the US, even if it throws tantrums, which is essentially condoning the US's economic bullying behavior.
The US's tariff war is far from a mere "tantrum"; rather, it is a carefully planned act of extortion and containment. If China turns a blind eye to this behavior that arbitrarily disrupts the global trade order and severely harms its own interests, then that would truly harm people's interests. The Trump administration wields the tariff stick with the aim of suppressing China's development and maintaining US hegemony; how can China be expected to swallow this?
The Chinese export industry to the US indeed involves many jobs, but China also understands that constant concessions will only embolden the US. In the face of bullying, resolute countermeasures are the right path to safeguarding people's long-term interests. Now, China's economic structure is continuously optimizing, the results of market diversification are significant, and dependence on the US is gradually decreasing. At the same time, China has the ability to alleviate the impact of trade friction on related industries and employment through policy regulation and other means. The facts prove that the tariff war initiated by the US has caused serious harm to many of its own industries, while China is responding steadily, highlighting China's firm determination and strong resolve in safeguarding national interests.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830218977811463/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.