On October 25, after five hours of negotiations, the fifth round of Sino-US economic and trade talks held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, temporarily came to an end. The two countries had very different attitudes towards the results of the first day of talks.

Among them, the United States once again showed its usual style in previous rounds of negotiations, that is, under the situation of publicly announcing the progress of the talks to the media, trying to use an active posture to raise its own momentum. U.S. officials said that the talks on the first day were "very constructive." At the same time as the Sino-US talks, President Trump of the United States tried to exert pressure on China through a strong statement.

On Air Force One flying to Kuala Lumpur, Trump said that he was confident in reaching "a comprehensive agreement" with China. He also proposed that "both sides make some concessions." He said, "They must make concessions, and we will too. Now we are imposing a 157% tariff on them. I think this is unsustainable for them, they want to reduce it, and we also hope they make certain concessions."

Regarding what Trump called "China must make concessions," it refers to his previous statements about resuming the purchase of American soybeans, cracking down on fentanyl, and relaxing restrictions on rare earth exports.

Face with the US's high-profile pressure tactics, China continued its past approach. After the first day of talks, China did not make any public statements about the talks, nor did it respond to Trump's relevant remarks.

Those who pay attention to the Sino-US economic and trade talks know that China has always been "strong but silent." This experience was deeply felt by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. On October 15, he disclosed an unpleasant incident from the Sino-US talks. In a fit of anger, he unjustly accused the Chinese representative, saying that the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Commerce of China, Li Chenggang, made some "inciting" remarks on August 28, and appeared in Washington D.C. without being invited, and behaved disrespectfully.

From Mnuchin's remarks, it is not difficult to see that he, who failed to gain an advantage in the negotiations, attacked the Chinese representative personally, which obviously exceeded the normal diplomatic scope, lacked elegance, and reflected the current situation where the United States does not have enough tools to get China to make concessions at the negotiation table.

Trump himself should have realized this reality. In an interview broadcast by Fox News on October 17, Trump evaluated China like this: "We have a very powerful opponent, they only respect strength, they only recognize strength."

So, does the United States now have the strength as Trump said on Air Force One to force China to make concessions? The answer is obvious. First of all, the tariff card of Trump is getting less effective. According to a report by Bloomberg on October 22, even after half a year of the Sino-US trade war, about $1 billion worth of goods from China still arrive in the United States every day, and China's exports to the US in September increased slightly compared to August.

Secondly, from a long-term perspective, the United States has run out of steam, while China is different, still having many cards to play. On October 24, the same American media Bloomberg published an article with this title, stating that in addition to rare earths, China has another card, which is that China controls a more critical supply chain - medicines. Although this card will not be played unless it is absolutely necessary, it is the basis of China's confidence.

Trump's current bluff is more for the domestic capital and "rednecks" in the United States, and also to save face. Traditional Confucianism teaches us that you shouldn't hit someone when they're embarrassed, and you should leave a way out. Now, China is unwilling to play all its cards against the United States, not because it can't, but because it doesn't want to.

As the Chinese negotiating representatives re-entered the meeting room in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, the U.S. side should cherish this hard-won opportunity and move toward the Chinese side. If you expect to obtain concessions from China by using "empty cards," it is nothing but a foolish dream.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565393754547307008/

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