China Can't Win Its ‘Fight to the End’ Against Trump
Beijing wasn’t prepared for tariffs on this scale. But Trump was.
Don’t miss our Deep Dive “The Illusion of Chinese Strength: Power, Paranoia, and the Temptation of War”. It’s one of the most important things we’ve ever published.
by Ian Williams
April 8, 2025
China has accused Washington of “blackmail” and said it will “fight to the end” after Donald Trump threatened overnight to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on Chinese imports. At the same time, President Xi Jinping is seeking to present himself as a responsible champion of the international trading system and defender of globalization against the Trump wrecking ball.
Neither position bears scrutiny; the latter is almost laughable, since it is Beijing’s persistent disregard of international rules that has fueled the anger in America in the first place.
As part of its strategy, the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to downplay the impact on its “super economy”, as the People’s Daily described it at the weekend, insisting the country is strong and resilient.
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