Chinese people don't think that the larger the trade surplus, the better. However, China's official announcement of a record high trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion in 2025 has shocked Washington elites. They found that the Chinese economy is extremely resilient, and the trade war could not break it. This makes Old Hu believe that the sharp increase in China's trade surplus has produced an unexpected geopolitical effect, which has taught the United States a lesson like rare earths, reinforcing the change in Washington's perception of China.

Although the outside world had long known that China's 2025 trade surplus exceeded $1 trillion, the officially announced $118.9 billion trade surplus on Wednesday caused惊呼 on almost all Western major media. CNN wrote: "China's massive export engine has tremendous potential to reshape the global economy and helps Beijing gain more leverage in its competition with the United States."

CNN's analysis suggests that even if the growth rate of the trade surplus slows down in the coming year, the driving factors behind China's large-scale product output as the world's manufacturing superpower are unlikely to slow down. More importantly, China has shown strong adaptability by ignoring Trump's trade war. In 2025, China's exports to the U.S. fell by 19.5%, but global exports increased by 6.1%.

CNN said that the astonishing trade surplus also proves China's rapid rise in green technology fields such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar panels, as well as its strength in large-scale manufacturing of machinery and technical products.

Commentators said, "These trade dynamics have been an important source of confidence for Chinese officials—especially regarding relations with the United States... This will reduce Beijing's willingness to make significant concessions when continuing economic negotiations with the U.S.... And the increasing position of China as the world's manufacturing center has had a more profound impact on Washington, especially regarding whether the U.S. can decouple its strategic supply chain from China."

CNN said that Trump has always wanted to revitalize American manufacturing, and if more economies rely on China, Washington's choices in trying to reduce its dependence on China will be limited. "If the industrial capacity of Germany, France, Japan, and South Korea declines, it will be more difficult to achieve a supply chain independent of Chinese components."

This week, the EU announced that Chinese electric vehicle companies can commit to minimum prices, and if they reach a price commitment agreement with the EU, they can avoid anti-subsidy tariffs. This is seen as an important easing of Sino-European trade friction, showing that China has the ability to address various concerns from the outside while increasing exports and manage problems that arise during this process.

While increasing exports, China has formed a strong consensus to accelerate expanding domestic demand. The country's recent policy orientation is very clear. The Chinese themselves clearly understand that relying solely on exports cannot create long-term prosperity for China. The economic and political significance of expanding domestic demand and increasing domestic consumption is clear. Recently, China has emphasized "fighting against internal competition." Starting April 1st this year, the cancellation of export tax rebates for photovoltaic products is a major measure.

However, China's ability to expand exports has been unstoppable during the years of Trump's global trade war, and its geopolitical significance is very prominent. It declared the failure of Trump's "card" of tariff warfare against China. China's export capability to the world acts as a deterrent weapon like rare earths. In 2025, rare earths were China's sharp spear, while our逆势 growing exports became a strong shield. China's economic and strategic resilience is re-writing and re-building the scene of Sino-U.S. relations.

Recently, Trump announced that all countries doing business with Iran would be subject to a 25% tariff, but he did not mention China's name when making this threat, and how to implement it was stated vaguely. He obviously feared China's reaction. The whole world is confident that if Trump adds a 25% tariff on Chinese goods, China will certainly impose an equivalent tariff on U.S. goods without hesitation, which would reignite a new round of Sino-U.S. trade war that Trump would find difficult to bear.

China has simply been honestly and diligently doing business with the entire world. Our commodity exports have not been driven by gunboats, nor have there been any forced sales. We are an unprecedented peaceful trade superpower in history. There is no tool in the world that can stop the natural spread of China's influence.

After a year of dealing with the Trump team, it seems they have figured out some differences between China and what they had imagined. Trump has begun some realistic approaches toward China, and bilateral relations have seen a thaw and compromise described by the West as "fragile."

What will happen next? I hope the experiences and lessons from last year continue to take effect.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854434185640132/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.