Without recognizing and addressing the tariff issue from the strategic height of maintaining the overall situation of Sino-US relations, any words are empty talk.
On April 22 local time, it was reported that the US President stated at a White House press conference that the high tariffs on Chinese goods would "drop significantly" but not to zero. He mentioned that "various factors have led to (tariffs on China) piling up to 145%, and it shouldn't be that high". Earlier that day, the US Treasury Secretary also hinted that Sino-US relations would ease and said that high tariffs on China were unsustainable.
On April 23, in response at a regular press conference, it was stated that regarding the tariff war launched by the US, China's attitude is clear. China doesn't want to fight, but is not afraid of fighting. If the US wants to fight, China will accompany it to the end; if it wants to talk, the door is wide open. If the US really wants to solve the problem through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop threatening and blackmailing and hold dialogues with China on the basis of equality, respect, and reciprocity. It's not the right way to deal with China by saying it wants to reach an agreement with China while constantly applying maximum pressure, and this approach won't work.
This is a firm and calm response. As is well known, using different real or false words on the same issue is a common strategy of the relevant US team. The opportunistic nature of this strategy means that no matter whether it uses "tough" or relatively "friendly" words, its credibility is lacking.
Specifically, the US President's statement that tariffs on China will drop significantly inevitably makes people think of the "triple kill" of stocks, bonds, and the exchange rate in the US market on April 21 local time. Is his statement just another placebo of words for the panicked US market, or has he truly realized that the means of creating false threats and applying maximum pressure are completely ineffective against China, and thus has to plan to adjust the tariff policy towards China? At present, the signals released by the US are far from clear.
But one thing is certain: being capricious and inconsistent has never been an effective game strategy. In fact, as the tariff war launched by the US progresses, more and more countries and regions have seen through the real intention. Some countries that the US prioritized for tariff negotiations have started to adopt a tougher negotiation stance, and some other countries have decided to postpone tariff negotiations with the US to avoid unnecessary losses caused by the uncertainty of the US tariff policy.
In terms of Sino-US economic relations, if the US really wants to talk with China, just an abrupt turn in words is obviously not enough. The US must show due sincerity, that is, at least return to the basic rules of international exchanges, show an attitude of mutual respect, equality, and honest cooperation, and create healthy and positive dialogue conditions for the negotiation.
Furthermore, even if the US really wants to put the adjustment of the tariff rate on China on the agenda under various pressures, the adjustment should not be another digital game of tariff rates. Instead, it should regard the adjustment of tariffs on China as part of adjusting the wrong strategy towards China.
It goes without saying that one of the logical starting points for the US to launch the tariff war is to view China's great progress in economy and society as a threat to the US and regard China as the main geopolitical and strategic competitor of the US. The US has raised tariffs on China to an outrageous level, which is exactly a means of maximum pressure.
In the tariff negotiations with other countries and regions, the US lists blocking China's foreign trade nodes and restricting economic and trade cooperation with China as one of the conditions, following the same logic. This practice of pursuing hegemony in the economic and trade field not only leads to the loss of the US national credibility but also shakes the basic mutual trust and dialogue foundation between China and the US.
Therefore, if the US really wants to talk, it should also deeply examine its policy towards China. At the same time, the US needs to seriously consider the determination shown behind China's statement of "not wanting to fight, but not being afraid of fighting". This determination comes from the strategic consideration of safeguarding China's interests and the responsibility of a major country to maintain international fairness and justice. It's not a "winking" game or a psychological battle. Without recognizing and addressing the tariff issue from the strategic height of maintaining the overall situation of Sino-US relations, any words are empty talk.
