For understanding China’s stance and intentions on foreign affairs, few sources offer clearer insight than the Zhong Sheng commentaries published in the official People’s Daily newspaper. These occasional editorials – the pseudonym “Zhong Sheng” meaning Voice of China – represent the authoritative view of the Chinese Communist Party, not that of an independent individual but by the Party-state apparatus specifically to signal official positions.
The 2025 commentaries so far reveal a sophisticated messaging strategy that is a combination of reassurance with assertiveness, aimed simultaneously at bolstering domestic legitimacy and global influence. With most commentaries aimed at the United States, they provide insights into the Chinese perspective of bilateral relations.
Early in the year, the tone was notably defensive, primarily responding to US actions, particularly the imposition of unilateral tariffs and protectionist measures. These editorials emphasised China’s resilience and right to retaliate, painting US actions as self-defeating and destabilising to the global economy.
By the middle of this year, however, a rhetorical shift had emerged. Commentaries surrounding economic talks held in Geneva and London began emphasising the establishment of consultation mechanisms, substantive tariff rollbacks, and pragmatic cooperation frameworks. This evolution reflects Beijing’s assessment that US pressure tactics were failing to produce leverage, hinting at growing confidence in China’s ability to engage the United States on equal terms.
China positioning itself as a defender of the global economic order is a consistent theme in the editorials.The ideological foundation of these editorials rests on two fundamental principles: mutual benefit and equality. The term “win-win cooperation” appears repeatedly as the essential framework through which China insists a relationship must operate. The editorials reinforce the idea that both China and the United States stand to gain only through interdependence.
No comments:
Post a Comment