Thread Content
From June 28 to 29, the G20 Leaders Summit will be held in Osaka, Japan. The meeting between the leaders of China and the United States, along with the prospects for Sino-U.S. trade negotiations, will undoubtedly be a major highlight of this summit. On June 18, the leaders of China and the United States held a telephone conversation and agreed to meet again during the G20 summit in Osaka to pursue dialogue on bilateral economic and trade issues. On June 17 of that same month, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office began a week-long public hearing to consider imposing tariffs on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. In response, opposition voices have grown louder both within the United States and around the world. Applying tariff pressures on one hand while seeking negotiations on the other, the United States employs sophisticated tactics; China responds calmly, growing more confident in its stance, and earns widespread approval from international public opinion. “We have no choice but China.” “What will happen if *** imposes a 25% tariff on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, as he has threatened to do? ”The Associated Press asked anxiously. Such concerns are not unfounded. From June 17 to 21, and from June 24 to 25, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office held a seven-day public hearing to discuss imposing tariffs on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. The list of Chinese imported goods on which the United States plans to impose additional tariffs this time covers almost all consumer goods. “\"American companies voiced opposition to tariff sanctions against China at the hearings,\" reported Japan’s Kyodo News. At the hearings on June 17, the American company iRobot, which produces robotic vacuums, expressed concern that imposing additional tariffs would reduce its competitiveness. Regarding President ***’s demand that production facilities be brought back to the United States, shoe manufacturers stated that it is \"unrealistic to return to the U.S.\" due to the time and costs involved. As the hearings progress, new members have joined the camp in the United States that is opposed to tariffs on China. According to Reuters, on June 19, U.S. companies Dell, HP, Microsoft, and Intel issued a joint statement opposing the proposal to include laptops and tablets among the goods subject to tariffs on China. On June 17, an analysis report submitted by World Trade Consulting to the Consumer Technology Association of the United States showed that if tariffs are imposed, the cost of laptops and tablets exported from China to the U.S. will increase by 21%, while their prices will rise by 19%. In other words, the price of each laptop will increase by about $120, and the price of each tablet by about $50, resulting in a 35% decline in overall sales volume. According to predictions by the U.S. industry group Trade Partners, if the U.S. imposes 25% tariffs on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese imports, 2 million Americans will lose their jobs as a result, and a typical American family of four will face an annual loss of $2,000. According to a report by the National Retail Federation cited by The Associated Press, higher tariffs will result in U.S. consumers spending an additional $4.4 billion on clothing each year, $2.5 billion more on shoes, and $1.6 billion more on home appliances. “Buy American products to replace Chinese imports? Some American companies say they cannot do it. ”An article in the U.S. Wall Street Journal stated that recently, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office has been inundated with letters from domestic companies. These companies are asking the United States to **abandon a new round of tariffs on China, ‘because we have no other choice but China’**. “\"China can get through this on its own,\" said Romanian former Prime Minister Roman. Faced with U.S. tariff pressures, China has always adhered to a policy of self-reliance – China can overcome this on its own. All along, China has responded to U.S. tariff pressures in a reasonable and measured manner. Where does China’s strength to counter trade coercion come from? A series of policies and a string of data have all become the keys for foreign media to understand China. In the face of downward economic pressures and the headwinds of trade protectionism, China’s economic performance remains impressive. The British Financial Times noted that recently, China’s Ministry of Commerce released the latest data on China’s foreign trade and actual foreign investment inflows, demonstrating the strong resilience of the Chinese economy. Data shows that in the first five months of this year, China’s foreign trade in imports and exports maintained a steady growth trend, with the overall volume reaching 12.1 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.1% on a year-on-year basis ; China’s actual utilization of foreign capital reached 369.06 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%. Reuters cited data released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on June 12, stating that global foreign direct investment declined by 13% last year. In contrast, China’s total foreign investment attracted saw an upward trend against the general trend, with a growth rate of nearly 4%, keeping it as the world’s second-largest recipient of foreign investment. “China is responding to the U.S. trade war against it with a more comprehensive, larger-scale, and deeper policy of openness. ”An article in Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao states that, based on the experience of world economic history, as long as a country is **open by nature, nothing else can isolate it**. As long as China remains open, the logic of capital dictates that it cannot be isolated. One of the reasons why the U.S. economy is strong is its consumer market. This logic also applies to China. Today, China is the world’s second-largest economy, with domestic consumption accounting for over 70% of its economic growth. “Trade conflicts will not slow down China’s development. ”According to the Swiss newspaper Financial Times, the Sino-U.S. trade dispute clearly shows that the Chinese economy is not based on replication, but rather on innovation-driven growth. China **has set ambitious goals, aiming to create global enterprises in various high-tech fields. In 2018 alone, China gave birth to 97 unicorn companies. Reports indicate that in 2017, China’s investment in innovation reached $442 billion, almost on par with that of the United States. In 2017, China accepted 1.38 million patent applications. Over the past 10 years, China’s patent licensing revenue abroad has increased by 160%. This makes China increasingly seen as the Asian dragon with high innovation capabilities and market penetration. According to a report in the Jordan Times, China is already ahead of the world in the mobile market and is expected to account for 40% of global 5G networks by 2025. Mironov, leader of the Russian Party of Justice, said that China has more room for maneuver in trade disputes and a greater chance of winning. Against the backdrop of trade tensions with the United States, China has formulated plans to maintain economic growth. The Chinese side stated that it is always open to negotiations, which is a demonstration of strength rather than weakness. “\"Without peace and trade, there are no winners,\" Reuters reported. U.S. President *** and Chinese President *** will meet during the G20 summit in Osaka, and the two countries will resume trade talks. This news greatly boosted financial markets, which hoped that the escalating trade war between the two countries would come to an end. According to the New York Times, shortly after the news broke and Wall Street opened for trading, the S&P 500 index rose by more than 1%, driven by gains in technology and industrial stocks. “Judging from the rebound in the stock market, I think the market shows that it’s better to talk than not to talk. ”said White House Chief Economic Advisor Kudlo. “Without peace and trade, there are no winners. ”The German newspaper Welt reported, citing Felbermayr, director of the Kiel World Economy Institute in Germany, that as long as the United States does not show goodwill, the Sino-U.S. trade war will never end. In the long run, the trade war imposes too high a cost on both sides, and the world will not remain peaceful. Calling for rational dialogue between China and the United States is the common voice of international public opinion. IMF Managing Director Lagarde warned that tariffs could reduce global GDP by 5% in 2020, resulting in losses of around $455 billion. She stated outright that trade conflicts represent a “major threat” to the global economic outlook, calling on the G20 to make resolving the current trade tensions its top priority, including by lifting existing tariffs and avoiding new ones. Those who follow the right path will have many supporters, while those who do not will have few. The United States’ unilateral pressure tactics have not only sparked opposition across the world, but even its close allies can no longer tolerate them; the calls for China to uphold multilateralism are growing louder. According to a report on the Financial Times website on June 17, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond openly defied U.S. pressure to adopt a tougher stance toward China, describing it as a \"vitally important bilateral partner\" that plays a \"crucial role\" in maintaining a rules-based multilateral order. He said that the UK could work with China to defend the international trade system against the threat posed by the rising protectionism in the United States. An article on the website of the American magazine The Atlantic Monthly states that in dealing with the challenge posed by China, Europe and the United States have not only failed to unite but have instead fallen into destructive disagreements. The rift between the United States and Europe is widening. “\"Arming the U.S. economic power with tariffs is a dangerous game,\" reported the American Consumer News & Business Channel. It remains to be seen how much benefit the White House can gain from using economic weapons, but it is clear now that both allies and adversaries are more eager than ever to seek alternatives to a system led by the United States. An article on the website of the American magazine **Interest** states that it would be a grave mistake for Americans to allow a \"new Cold War\" to begin with China. It is not too late to pull the two countries back from the brink of disaster and restore normal functioning to their bilateral relations. The relations between the two countries will have a greater impact on international politics in the 21st century than any other bilateral relationship. Peaceful coexistence between China and the United States is not only necessary but also achievable. Changhui Instruments http://yunrun.com.cn/