President-elect Trump’s pledges to raise tariffs on Chinese goods have prompted a flurry of English-language responses from the country’s state media.
Trump has extolled the benefits of tariffs on the campaign trail. His previous administration slapped duties on around $300 billion of Chinese goods, kicking off the ongoing trade war between the world’s top two economies.
On the campaign trail earlier this year, Trump pledged a baseline tariff of 10 percent on all imports to the United States and up to 60 percent on those from China in particular.
On Monday, he threatened an additional 10 percent tariff on China until it succeeds in stopping precursors for the deadly opioid Fentanyl from flowing into the country. He also announced 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, citing the U.S.’s “ridiculous open borders.”
Responding to the statement, the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., wrote that U.S.-China trade is mutually beneficial and warned: “No one will win a trade war or a tariff war.”
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Chinese state-run media, led by the tabloid Global Times, has gone into overdrive, publishing a dozen articles in the past week centered on trade tensions with the U.S., as well as the European Union, which last month raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports to as high as 45 percent, citing Beijing’s heavy state subsidies.
“As long as there is a [trade] deficit with the U.S, the country will raise tariffs, regardless of alliances or trade agreements,” warned He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, in a piece the outlet published Tuesday.
In a Monday article, the outlet struck a resolute tone, asserting that while 60-percent tariffs would “cause disruption,” Beijing is equipped to withstand shocks through its market size, policy tool kit, and “strategic patience.”
“The international community should note that China’s calm in the face of tariff threats isn’t just diplomatic posturing—it reflects a fundamental shift in global economic dynamics,” the author added.
Since last week, Xinhua News Agency has released several short reports pointing to American media commentary on the domestic fallout of tariffs.
One cited a CBS report warning Trump’s tariffs could drive up consumer costs. Another piece referenced a recent op-ed by Financial Times commentator Martin Wolf, who cautioned that escalating the trade war would fuel inflation and erode global trust in the dollar.
Newsweek reached out to a Trump spokesperson with a written request for a response.
“This is Trump’s way of laying down the gauntlet,” Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Newsweek.
“He’s signaling that a new, more serious approach to these critical issues—fentanyl and illegal immigration—is coming, and he expects Canada, Mexico, and China to step up or face consequences.”
He also said China’s recent economic woes have left the country “highly exposed to tariff shocks.”
“China can try to frame Trump as a disrupter, but many countries share concerns over Beijing’s overcapacity and unfair trade practices,” he added. “This could lead to more nations enacting their own protective measures, compounding China’s vulnerabilities.”
President Joe Biden maintained the Trump era tariffs raised on a range of goods produced at low cost in China, citing a need to protect local industries. These included 100-percent and 50-percent duties on electric vehicles and solar cells, respectively.
Update 11/26/24, 3 p.m. ET: This story was updated with a comment from Craig Singleton and additional information.
