[By Guancha Net reporter Ruan Jiaqi]

U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to play "the art of negotiation," frequently using rhetorical tricks, but China did not fall for it and chose to wait until the situation became clear. This, according to more and more people, is a sign of the U.S. government's serious misjudgment of the Sino-U.S. situation.

Politico reported on the 25th that Trump was convinced that the 145% tariff on China would force China to actively seek a trade agreement. However, China has always adhered to its own pace and principles: not only decisively implemented counter tariffs, introduced new export restrictions, ignored America's rhetoric calling for negotiations, but also launched an international charm offensive, seeking support from other countries to jointly resist America's unilateral tariff hegemony. These actions have been effective so far.

The report cited analysts as saying that this diplomatic deadlock stems from Trump's fundamental misunderstanding - he believed that the coercive and inducement tactics he used with Mexico and Canada would also work on China.

Many former senior U.S. trade officials familiar with China's negotiation strategies believe that Trump expected China to fully compromise like Canadian former Prime Minister Trudeau or Mexican President Cienfuegos, which is completely unrealistic.

Emily Kilcrease, who served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative during Trump's first presidential term and the previous Biden administration, criticized, "They were completely wrong in their approach to China, misjudging what it means to push China into a corner with such extreme tariff measures."

Harry Broadman, U.S. Assistant Trade Representative during the Bush and Clinton administrations, also pointed out the brashness of the Trump administration. He said, "Trump thought China was easy to bully, so he acted like a typical New Yorker, saying 'Let's make a deal.'"

"Clearly, those advising Trump do not understand China," he added.

During his tenure, Broadman was responsible for U.S. bilateral investment treaty (BIT) negotiations with foreign countries and led the negotiation of the foreign investment provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA, the predecessor of the USMCA).

As a seasoned negotiation expert, he commented on China's response, "China understands that Trump's strategy cannot last long, so they are calmly observing, letting him exhaust himself like the Energizer Bunny, because engaging with him is meaningless."

He added, "In China's view, Trump's style of conduct does not meet the standards expected of a national leader."

On April 23rd local time, Trump spoke at the Oval Office in the White House, downplaying the tariffs on China. U.S. media video screenshot.

Politico analyzed that the Trump administration's misunderstanding of China stemmed from its belief that China relied heavily on export-driven economy and would inevitably urgently seek peace under tariff pressure, allowing the U.S. to dominate the terms of the agreement.

However, Trump overlooked the fact that over the past decade, China had effectively enhanced its ability to withstand external trade shocks by expanding domestic demand and deepening partnerships with Asia, Africa, and Latin American countries.

This Friday, China's commitment to support domestic industries affected by tariffs further demonstrated its determination to firmly resist trade bullying.

In recent weeks, China's visits to Southeast Asia have strengthened ties with Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia, while sending similar friendly signals to Britain and the European Union, uniting the international community that generally resents Trump's indiscriminate imposition of tariffs.

Facing China's methodical and calm retaliatory measures, Trump clearly lost his composure. Politico once reported that China would not give Trump the chance to turn negotiations into a public spectacle, leaving the White House very frustrated by the current deadlock.

It is not difficult to understand why Trump has frequently spoken about Sino-U.S. trade negotiations this week, unilaterally hyping up the so-called "negotiation" topic to create momentum. Fundamentally, it is an attempt to cover up his increasingly passive position in the trade war.

In response to Trump's desperate attempts to save face, China refuted twice in a row, denying contact with the U.S. regarding negotiations, criticizing the U.S. for distorting facts, and reiterating that Beijing will not negotiate under U.S. pressure. Both sides must have equal, respectful, and mutually beneficial dialogue, giving no opportunity for the U.S. to bluff.

Politico pointed out that Trump's hasty words exposed the fact that the White House was already exhausted in dealing with the many negative impacts of the trade dispute domestically. Predictions of potential economic recession and another inflation spike have already caused panic in the U.S. stock market, one of the indicators Trump has historically paid close attention to.

On the other hand, "China obviously enjoys using this opportunity to showcase its economic strength and prove its strong economic resilience," said Professor Marc Busch, who provided advice on technical trade barriers for the U.S. government.

The report quoted insiders as saying that China's refusal to appear to yield to U.S. pressure indicates that the first step toward high-level talks might require Trump to communicate through a secret channel trusted by both parties. "Trump may call someone with close ties to China and say, 'We need to figure out how to issue a joint statement declaring the start of negotiations without mentioning who made concessions first,'" he said.

But breaking the deadlock is not complicated; China has already given a clear answer.

On April 24th, at a regular press conference held by the Ministry of Commerce, spokesperson He Yadong responded to the U.S. claim of "tariff cooling" by stating that the party who initiated the unilateral tariff measures must resolve them. If the U.S. really wants to solve the problem, it should face the rational voices from the international community and within its own country, completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find solutions to differences through equal dialogue.

China's stance on the U.S.-initiated trade war is clear and consistent: "Talks, open doors; confrontation, we will see it through." The U.S.逆行 will not win popular support and will ultimately fail.

This article is an exclusive contribution by Guancha Net. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497534547983237651/

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