By Wu Yuehe
China has to take necessary countermeasures, said the Customs Tariff Commission of the country’s State Council on Aug.15, in response to the US announcement of imposing additional 10 percent tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports.
“The U.S. move seriously violated the consensus reached between the two heads of state in Argentina and Osaka, Japan, and deviated from the right track of settling differences through consultations,” the commission noted, signaling a clear stand of China.
After more than a year of the China-US trade frictions, some American officials are still perfecting their backtracking and bullying drama. Reluctant to admit their vain efforts in front of China’s resolution and competence to fight trade bullying, they just opted to start another round of provocation.
However, such ruse will achieve nothing but make the US once again feel the composure of China in the face of extreme pressures. The US would finally understand that there is no winner in the trade war and escalating trade disputes will do no good to both sides and the world at large.
The big stick of tariffs, in the hands of American officials, is undoubtedly creating an impact that the US is not able to take any more.
According to the new tariff plan published by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the additional tariffs starting from Sept. 1 will go into effect in two stages from Sept. 1 and Dec. 15 respectively.
Some American officials acknowledged that they did this for Christmas season, just in case some of the tariffs would have an impact on US customers, causing more suffer for the US side rather than China.
Now realizing they are beating their heads against the wall, these American officials finally choose to slow their pace. However, they would still break their heads if they don’t stop.
Why did the US politicians challenge others under the disguise of protecting its national interests but only end up dragging itself into the mire of economic losses? This is a question they should all contemplate.
In the era of economic globalization, the two largest economies on the global industrial chain have a stake in each other’s future. Over the past forty years, China and the US have seen a fast development of economic and trade cooperation and built a community of shared interests – a mansion jointly constructed by peoples from both countries with their hearts.
The big stick of tariffs may leave scars on the mansion and weather the joint efforts by the two peoples to promote development, but will never shake the mansion’s foundation. Any acts that are against the norm will not be supported.
Of course, there are solutions to the China-US economic and trade disputes, and the consensuses reached by the two heads of state in Argentina and Osaka have chartered the course for both countries. The two countries can always find a mutually acceptable solution through dialogues and consultations on the basis of equality and mutual respect.
Dr. Henry Kissinger once expressed his worry that the US would drive into unknown seas owing to the panic of the rise of other countries. Regrettably, his worry is now shared by all the trading partners of the US.
As an ancient Chinese philosopher said, a country’s safety is not determined by its strength but by righteousness. No matter how the US is bullying the world, the American exceptionalism is not likely to prevail around the globe.
A major country should take actions to spread justice and righteousness on a global scale. China will never compromise on major issues of principle, no matter what extreme measures the US will take.
China does what it says and resolves to counter any provocation. It has the strength to fight to the end. Any attempt to undermine the core interests of China and Chinese people is doomed to fail.
Source: People’s Daily
