Dingding Chen and Yingfan Chen
On April 22, during a press conference at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged that the 145 percent tariff rate his government has imposed on China was indeed very high, but assured reporters that the tariffs would be significantly reduced, though not eliminated entirely. In response, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the current high tariffs between the two sides effectively amounted to a trade embargo.
Recently, Trump has met with several top business executives at the White House, many of whom have warned that the reciprocal tariffs are damaging the U.S. economy and could potentially derail it entirely.
Under the tariff pressure from Trump, China might be the only country to adopt a tough stance. Not only has it continuously raised tariffs on U.S. goods, but it has also implemented a range of restrictive measures, such as placing export controls on seven rare earth elements and even returning Boeing aircraft. This assertive and well-organized response can be attributed to China’s experience during the trade war of Trump’s first term. In the face of pressure from Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs, China has remained methodical and composed, while other economies have been thrown into anxiety and rushed to negotiate.
China’s ability to remain calm in the face of Trump’s tariff pressures is primarily due to three key perspectives held by Chinese leaders regarding relations among major powers.
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