Trump's mood is extremely bad! Early in the morning on Eastern Time, Trump received a huge piece of bad news. Trump simply can't understand why China's countermeasures this time are so fast and so intense. This time, Trump has completely kicked against an iron plate. Our countermeasures against the U.S. have left America somewhat "broken."
Why do we say that? Previously, the U.S. imposed two additional 10% tariffs on us. Although we retaliated, our countermeasures had two characteristics that seemed to make Trump think we were "easy to bully." First, our retaliation at that time was precise, targeting only certain sectors rather than imposing equal tariffs on all American products. This made Trump feel as if we lacked confidence.
Secondly, there was a period between announcing the tariff increase and actually implementing it. Previously, we took action to retaliate after the U.S. tariff increase order had already taken effect. In the eyes of the U.S., this might have given the impression that we were hesitant or unprepared. But this time, our actions were entirely different. First, we imposed a 34% tariff increase on all American products, abandoning our previous precise countermeasures, which must have caught the U.S. off guard.
Secondly, the U.S. tariff increase took effect on April 9th, but before the U.S. tariff increase was officially implemented, we retaliated. For the U.S., our response was too quick. Moreover, we also included 11 American companies in the Unreliable Entity List and implemented export controls on seven categories of heavy rare earth-related items. Undoubtedly, we responded to the U.S. with increased intensity in a hard-line, tit-for-tat manner. As a result, after receiving our countermeasures, Trump immediately said, "China should not have done this."
We clearly know that what Trump takes pride in is the art of deal-making. However, deals require offers and counteroffers. Our actions are essentially telling the U.S. that there are no negotiation options when faced with bullying. Clearly, Trump's tactics have been fully seen through by us. He cannot force us to the negotiating table through intimidation. Our countermeasures undoubtedly remind the U.S. that dealing with us may require a different approach.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828491701491724/
Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author alone.