China will counter U.S. trade bullying with calm rationality

Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs".

Beijing’s latest countermeasures, in response to a fresh tariff threat by the U.S. on over 300 billion US dollars of imports from China, have been bombarded by Washington with groundless accusations. The U.S. even threatened to further raise tariffs on 550 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese goods. Such behavior provides vivid evidence of what American hegemonic logic looks like. But no matter how egoistic Washington may be, Beijing will continue with its countermeasures with rationality.

[Photo: IC]

To date, China has been forced to implement three rounds of countermeasures in response to the additional tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by Washington that provoked the trade tensions early last year. The U.S. has gone back on its word time and again during bilateral trade talks. China’s countermeasures, which have been imposed in line with the country’s laws and regulations, and which conform to the basic principles of international law, are completely justified. Any sovereign country would make similar moves in such circumstances to safeguard its own rights and interests.

But some Americans, displaying a hegemonic mind-set, feel that U.S. authority is being challenged. In their opinion, as the world’s only superpower, the United States should encounter no resistance when it waves its tariff stick around the world. This hegemonic logic is characterized by unilateralism and protectionism and holds international law and order in extreme contempt and threatens its deliberate destruction.

Human society is no longer governed by the law of the jungle. Multilateralism and cooperative win-win are becoming an unstoppable trend, replacing unilateralism and sole dominance. That is also why Washington has been facing counterattacks after it provoked trade wars around the globe.

On June 16, India started to levy retaliatory duties on 28 U.S. products after Washington revoked New Delhi’s preferential trade privileges. In July, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom announced that the European Union would retaliate with extra tariffs on 35 billion euros of American imports if Washington imposes extra duties on EU-made cars and auto parts. During the G7 Summit, which ended on Monday, U.S. allies including Japan and France expressed their dissatisfaction over Washington-provoked trade wars. French President Emmanuel Macron has pointed out that the world “must succeed in reaching a de-escalation, stabilize things and avoid this trade war which is already taking place everywhere.” Additionally, European Council President Donald Tusk has warned that Washington’s escalating “trade wars will lead to recession.”

With strong risk-management capabilities developed over recent decades through its reform and opening-up process, China is capable of countering any unilateral provocative acts and pressure from the United States. The country has made it very clear that it does not want a trade war, but is not afraid of fighting one if necessary. With this in mind, as long as Washington maintains its ‘do as I say, not as I do’ stance, Beijing will continue to point out that ‘China is ready to fight to the end.’