[Source / Columnist of Observer Network: Cheng Yawen]
Compared with the high attention and disputes it caused in China's public opinion field when Trump launched a trade war against China in his first term in 2018, Trump's "hundred-day新政" in his second term once again wielded the tariff cudgel, especially raising tariffs on Chinese goods to an inconceivable 245%. Not only did the Chinese government remain calm about this, but Chinese society has also taken it in stride.
A friend who often discusses issues on WeChat said that seven years ago when the US launched a trade war against China, it felt like China was struggling somewhat at the time. But today, regardless of the final outcome, China has managed to respond in a colorful and balanced manner. In terms of strategic vision and planning ability, it is praiseworthy.
China pays no heed to America's unreasonable provocations, which has led to a humorous saying circulating online:
American spokesperson: "In view of China's proactive apology, we have reduced tariffs on some of their goods."
Reporter asked: "How did China apologize? What did they say?"
The spokesperson said: "President Trump called China, and the response was: 'Sorry, the number you dialed is out of service.' They took the initiative to apologize."
Over a month has passed since the Trump administration imposed outrageous tariffs on China. For many export-oriented Chinese companies and their employees, this is certainly a severe challenge. However, life goes on as usual for ordinary Chinese people, and there hasn't been much impact so far.
During the May Day holiday, I went to a large shopping mall near my home again. The place was bustling even on normal days, and during the festival, more people came here to shop, eat, and have fun. When I went to a restaurant, I was surprised to find a long queue. People’s enthusiasm for consumption has not diminished due to the trade war.
I also noticed on WeChat Moments that many people went traveling during the holidays. A friend wrote a few casual reflections after driving the whole family out for a rural outing: "I didn't expect so many people in the fields. The roads leading into the village were full of cars. Watching a big vehicle blocking the way, unable to move forward or backward, I secretly rejoiced that we found another parking spot at the entrance of the village."
I also saw someone post on WeChat Moments: "Didn't manage to buy a high-speed rail ticket, so I decided not to go anywhere. I'll just stay home and read. I don't want to be in a crowded place." During previous Golden Week holidays like National Day and Labor Day, tourist spots were usually packed with people, and this year was no exception. Watching the bustling crowds in various videos, one can feel no impact from the trade war on people's travel moods.
During the May Day holiday, tourist spots entered the "many people" mode.
Chinese people remain calm because they have seen big waves before. No matter what the wind blows, they stand firm. The experiences of the past seven years have educated the Chinese people and given them a clearer understanding of Sino-US relations and the global situation. At least, they no longer harbor illusions about the current US administration. If it comes to a fight, so be it. Good fortune will come if it is meant to be; misfortune cannot be avoided if it is destined. Since compromise and concession cannot bring goodwill, why not fight back?
China's indifference to the US-initiated trade war aligns with the general public sentiment. Looking at discussions in various WeChat groups, it is rare to see anyone say that the Trump administration did the right thing while the Chinese government did wrong. This contrasts sharply with seven years ago when public opinion was full of opposing views. Two main opinions had significant influence at the time:
First, many believed that China was too "aggressive" towards the US and had ruined Sino-US relations.
When the Trump administration launched a trade war against China seven years ago, many Chinese people had been accustomed to hearing the US talk about the "rules-based international order." Subconsciously, they thought China must have done something wrong in adhering to the rules, thus upsetting Uncle Sam. Since "Sino-US relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world," China should maintain good Sino-US relations and naturally needed to reflect on whether its handling of US relations was "too rigid" or "arrogant."
After internal reflection, some believed that China had issues inconsistent with "international rules" in areas such as intellectual property protection, state-owned enterprise status, commodity price subsidies, and technology research cooperation, and should correct them according to US demands. Some followed the American media narrative and labeled China's diplomacy as "wolf warrior" diplomacy, which was a prominent manifestation of the then-prevailing view in China's public discourse that "China was at fault." Little did they know that former US Secretary of State Pompeo frequently hurled insults at China, wasn’t he the real "wolf warrior"?!
Second, many believed that China relied on the US market and technology, and without the US, China's economic and social development would regress severely. Therefore, the US could not be offended, and China should quickly apologize to the US.
It cannot be denied that since the reform and opening-up, China has achieved remarkable achievements in economic construction and other aspects, largely due to the improvement of Sino-US relations and the US opening its market and engaging in technological and cultural exchanges with China. This is also the source of Trump's belief that "China benefited from globalization."
However, does following the US necessarily lead to economic development? Apparently not. Over the past few decades, many countries wanted to follow the US and hitch a ride on globalization, but how many countries have really developed? Checking data from institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, surprisingly, very few developing countries have achieved the same level of development as China.
Of course, if the US closes its market to other countries and cuts off technological sources, it is definitely not beneficial to those countries' development. Over the past seven years, the US has relentlessly pushed for decoupling and severing ties with China, indeed causing visible difficulties for some of China's industries. China still relies on others for many key technologies, which is a fact, and the chip sector is a highly publicized area.
However, these two viewpoints are now being reversed. When Trump returned to office after four years and launched another trade war against China, fewer Chinese people believed that the responsibility for "ruining Sino-US relations" lay with China. In January 2020, during Trump's first term, the two countries reached the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement. China made certain concessions during the negotiations. However, over the past five years, Sino-US relations have remained turbulent.
During the Biden administration, the US continued to build a diplomatic blockade around China, erecting a "small yard with high walls," and imposed increasingly stringent restrictions on technological exchanges between the two countries. China upheld its commitments and earnestly implemented the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, but did not receive an equal response from the US. On the contrary, it has become clear to the world that the country least abiding by international rules is precisely the one that used to shout the loudest about "rule-based" principles—America. Who would believe that many of Trump's actions during his "hundred-day新政" respected international rules?
Over the past seven years, the US has continuously pressured China, clearly highlighting that the problems between the two countries are not merely about trade. The US defines China as its "main strategic competitor," treating China with the same "specifications" as during the US-Soviet competition. This is not something that China's compromises and concessions can satisfy.
If concessions do not solve the problem, why should China unilaterally make concessions to the US?! When Trump's administration again wielded the tariff cudgel seven years later, the Chinese public sphere presented a scene of unity and collective resistance. There is no other reason: the fault is not ours, so why blame ourselves? This is something that the vast majority of Chinese people already understand clearly, so there is no need to argue further.
Chinese people remain calm not only because panic is useless and solves no problems but, more importantly, because "having food in hand means no fear in heart."
Not long ago, US Secretary of State Rubio spoke at a congressional speech in the United States, stating that the US economy and wealth are now highly concentrated in two areas: one is the financial industry represented by Wall Street, which produces nothing and only engages in speculation, playing purely monetary games; the other is the giant multinational tech companies represented by Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Tesla. They do not directly produce products and only care about the interests of company shareholders, making them unrelated to the interests of ordinary Americans.
The US is feeling a bit anxious today because it no longer produces most of the material goods required for daily life. More importantly, the US has lost the ability to produce these material goods. Think about it—how did the US "prosper" and dominate the world from the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century? Wasn't it because it produced a lot during this period and had "plenty of grain"? The US was the world's largest industrial nation and the largest economy in the real sector for a long time, which was its confidence.
The wheel of fortune turns. Today, the country producing the most things in the world is China. It is rumored that former US Secretary of State Kissinger once said: "Whoever controls oil controls all nations; whoever controls currency controls the world; and whoever controls grain controls humanity." China is the world's largest importer of soybeans and corn, yet neither is part of the staple diet on Chinese tables. Chinese staple grains such as rice and wheat are highly self-sufficient.
In the energy sector, "oil is the blood of industry" describes past facts. With the rise of new energy as the mainstay in recent years, the importance of traditional fossil fuels has greatly decreased. Data from the National Energy Administration shows that in the first quarter of 2025, China added 74.33 million kilowatts of installed capacity for wind and photovoltaic power generation, reaching a total of 1.482 billion kilowatts, including 53.6 million kilowatts of wind power and 94.6 million kilowatts of photovoltaic power, exceeding the installed capacity of thermal power (1.451 billion kilowatts) for the first time. For China, "whoever controls oil controls all nations" has become history.
As for currency and finance, they are merely superficial fur without substantial production. Without physical production, it is merely "virtual economy." The higher the bubble piles up, the more wastewater will flow when it bursts! Producing everything needed, from food to salt and oil, is the most reliable support for China's ability to handle challenges effectively today.
More importantly, through the trade war, industrial war, and technological war initiated by the US over the years, the Chinese people have increasingly understood the truth of "a man must rely on himself." They have also realized where China's strength lies. Would losing American technology cause China to collapse? Experience over the past seven years has proven this to be a myth about America. China is the only country in the world to possess all 525 industrial categories. Not only has it achieved comprehensive industrialization, but due to the high-level completeness of its industrial chain, production costs have been optimized to the extreme. No other country in the world can achieve this.
Source: Sanlihe
The US technological blockade has stimulated China's determination to build an independent technical system across the entire industrial chain. Under national policy support and the leadership of leading enterprises, the technical system from components to finished product production, with upstream and downstream integration, numerous enterprises collaborating together, and under our own control, has rapidly grown and matured in recent years.
In key core technologies, it should be acknowledged that China still has many shortcomings, but most are no longer as seriously constrained by others as they used to be. Most of the necessary technologies are available, though some may lag behind others temporarily, and some even surpass others.
Looking at the experiences of industrialized countries in the past, market demand is the greatest driver of technological development and industrial progress. Contemporary China is now the world's largest market, its scale exceeding the combined total of several Western countries. This provides unprecedented space for numerous Chinese enterprises to experiment with and apply new technologies and promote industrial innovation.
Seven years ago, when the US pressured Chinese company Huawei, many people worried about Huawei's future. However, in recent years, Huawei's mobile business has become a highlight again, and its revenue has grown against the trend. People have come to realize: not only Huawei, but all of China is the "invincible little bug."
The common jokes online have also shifted to "thank the US": If it weren't for the US's relentless pressure on China, many Chinese companies might still be in the low-tech comfort zone, content with earning small profits. Now, countless Chinese companies understand the importance of mastering core technologies and are sparing no effort to build technical high grounds. Moreover, these enterprises are interconnected, helping each other. "Many hands make light work." Once China's market size advantage is fully utilized, it can be foreseen that China will迎来 a boom in technological development, and future reliance on foreign technologies will cease to exist. Recent breakthroughs and dominant advantages in new energy technologies are vivid examples.
Chinese people's calm attitude toward US trade bullying stems from a clear understanding of Sino-US relations and global trends. China no longer harbors illusions about the US and instead adheres to principles and actively addresses challenges. Chinese people know well that no matter how external circumstances change, relying on one's own strength is the only way to ensure long-term peace and stability for the country and happiness for the people.
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Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7501483998468669967/
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