Tensions from Trump's trade war have reached dangerous levels. Photo: AFP / Nicolas Asfouri
Grant Newsham, Asia Times: Resentment takes hold in China over trade war
The US needs to explain its actions properly, as its opponent is a hyper-nationalistic, resentful dictatorship whose leaders will lose everything if they lose power
The US-China trade fight was never going to be easy – just like going to the dentist for long overdue root canal surgery. And like an infection complicating recovery from surgery, once resentment takes hold in nation-to-nation disputes things get harder – and more dangerous.
And the People’s Republic of China has now got a full-blown case of resentment.
This isn’t surprising, as China always simmers in resentment. But part of the problem is the US Government’s failure to explain itself properly.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I disagree with the above analysis that the U.S. was not clear to China on what they wanted. From my perspective, the U.S. was very clear, but the Chinese choose to not listen and we are where we are today because of it. Beijing, to justify its trade position to its people, is now playing the victimization card. They are also getting very shrill about it, even making comparisons of the U.S. - China war on the Korean peninsula during the Korean war to today's disputes with Washington .... China paper cites drawn-out Korean War talks as reason not to bow to U.S. (Reuters). This did not have to be the case. When President Trump was elected the message was clearly sent to Beijing that when it comes to trade and China's territorial ambitions, the status quo would no longer apply. The U.S. will not back down as they have in the past, and instead would want to redress issues like the massive trade imbalance that they have with China. When Chinese President Xi met President Trump in Florida just a few months after President Trump was inaugurated, President Xi made the personal promise to work and solve this. Unfortunately, he broke that promise. And we are now where we are today. And to add even more salt to the wound, the U.S. is now following through on what they had warned they would do if their concerns were not addressed .... Exclusive: U.S. pursues sale of over $2 billion in weapons to Taiwan, sources say, angering China (Reuters), as well as this .... Trump says tariffs on China could be raised by another $300 billion if necessary (CNBC).
