China raised tariffs on US goods to 84% on the afternoon of April 9th, Beijing time. Shortly after, Trump "snapped." Later that day, he announced a 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariff policies with 75 countries, but increased tariffs on China to 125%. Clearly, he wanted to focus his efforts on dealing with China. In response, Treasury Secretary Besant spoke candidly about this.

Besant emphasized two key points in the interview:

1. The US has more moves against China and is not ruling out delisting Chinese stocks from US exchanges;

2. He reminded other countries, especially US allies, not to ally with China, warning them it would be akin to "courting their own destruction."

Clearly, the countries Besant referred to, most notably the EU, had just hours prior passed a resolution imposing a 25% tariff on the US. It's been many years since we've seen the EU this assertive. Facing such a resolute EU, the US administration was very tense. Thus, suspending reciprocal tariffs with other countries was an unavoidable choice for Trump.

However, on the same day Besant made his remarks, reality slapped him in the face. China received two pieces of good news:

The first piece of good news came as our case brought to the WTO finally bore fruit. Recently, China submitted a follow-up document to the WTO, notifying over 160 WTO members. On April 9th, an emergency meeting was held at the WTO, where China sternly pointed out the US's violation of international rules. Our statement garnered support and attention from dozens of countries. Representatives from multiple European nations, including Japan and South Korea, stood up to oppose the US. This scene must have been unimaginable to Trump and Treasury Secretary Besant!

The second piece of good news was that Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez's visit to China officially began on April 10th, Beijing time. As a significant member of the EU, Sánchez's visit naturally drew attention from other EU member states. To put it bluntly, Sánchez's trip represents several European countries coming to gauge China's stance. They want to know two things: 1. Does China have the resolve to confront Trump head-on? 2. Is China willing to deepen cooperation with Europe amidst Trump's arrogance?

Clearly, the answers to both questions are affirmative. Therefore, Sánchez's visit to China will undoubtedly be successful, and cooperation between China and the EU will proceed right under Trump's nose. Some experts even commented that the EU's decision to pass the 25% tariff on the US might be due to its confidence in reaching important consensus with China in multiple fields ahead of time.

The facts speak for themselves. What the US fears most now is China making friends everywhere. However, this is something China has long been doing. Besides Europe, China has already established solid trade foundations with Southeast Asian countries, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, and many other regional powers. For example, regarding India, China reached basic consensus on border issues by the end of 2024. Just recently, Indian media reported that the Modi government is preparing to restore direct flights between China and India. Looking back, all these seem like wise preemptive deployments. Trump will certainly take further actions, and China will surely respond. Let us keep a close eye on developments.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491476364822889023/

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