On April 17 local time, Trump once again talked about the Sino-US tariff issue in the Oval Office of the White House. It is worth noting that this time Trump's attitude has changed somewhat from before:

Firstly, since he proposed "reciprocal tariffs" on April 2, this is the first time he has officially mentioned the possibility of reducing tariffs on China. He emphasized: If we impose additional tariffs on China, American consumers will stop buying Chinese products, and I hope everyone continues to buy them.

Secondly, he mentioned that China and the US are currently in contact, and he believes that the two countries can reach a very good agreement to end everything at hand.

Wow, it took Trump a full half month to finally indicate that he would reduce tariffs. Anyone with eyes can see that he really can't continue this tariff war. Just hours ago, Paul Krugman, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics, also published a commentary article, clearly stating: "The upper hand is not America, but China."

So what exactly made Trump, who is usually tough-mouthed, consider lowering tariffs on China? This is directly related to the three bad pieces of news he received in recent days:

The first piece of bad news is that the plan to pressure more than 70 countries by the United States was ineffective. Recently, Treasury Secretary Bostan clearly stated: "The earlier a country comes to negotiate with the United States, the more benefits they will receive." Later, US media exposed that the Trump administration was pressuring more than 70 countries not to cooperate with China in trade. However, whether it was enticement or threats, ultimately there was no effect.

The second piece of bad news came from Japan, an ally of the United States. Recently, the Japanese delegation has already arrived in Washington and entered negotiations with the US side. From the situation on the first day of the negotiation, the two sides have hardly reached any valuable consensus. The latest information shows that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe clearly stated after his special envoy's first negotiation with the United States: Negotiations will not be easy. Just a few days ago, he had promised the public in Japan that there would be no major concessions to the United States. Japan's attitude actually represents the views of many of America's allies. After Japan's statement, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also promised the public in a television program: Australia will not yield to Trump. The situation is now clear, and even Trump has managed to intimidate these old allies.

The third piece of bad news came from the Federal Reserve. In the past few days, American stock indexes have continued to fall, but Fed Chairman Powell stood up to make a statement saying that the Fed will not intervene for now and there is no plan for rate cuts. Powell's statement made Trump very angry, and he responded immediately, demanding Powell step down. But we know that even the President of the United States cannot move Powell, and this struggle between the White House and the Federal Reserve has plunged American capitalists into greater despair. And this may also become the last straw that breaks the US debt.

In summary, "reciprocal tariffs" have been proposed for half a month. Half a month is enough to let more and more countries see a reality: the world is no longer dominated by the United States. As long as each country has the courage to face hegemony, they can make the other side retreat when faced with difficulties. Trump said that China and the US will eventually reach an agreement, which makes sense in the long term, and China has never closed the door to negotiations. But the problem is, as the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, if we want to talk, then let's talk openly. The United States must abandon its threats and hegemony, maintain respect for other countries, and approach talks with an equal posture.

In the first quarter of 2025, China Customs' data has already come out, and China's trade volume with 170+ countries and regions around the world is still growing. This has already told Trump a reality: trying to "contain" China with this strategy is simply impossible. Next, let's see when he will truly come down from his position. We will continue to pay attention to the developments.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494444883420168704/

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