The US-China trade war continues to escalate as Beijing now calls for a “people’s war” against Washington. President Donald Trump is postured to threaten imposing tariffs on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.
In a series of editorials and op-eds published on Monday, Chinese state media criticized the Trump administration’s “greed and arrogance,” and called for a “people’s war” against it. Beijing’s state-run media effectively serve as a mouthpiece for the Communist Party.
“The most important thing is that in the China-US trade war, the US side fights for greed and arrogance … and morale will break at any point. The Chinese side is fighting back to protect its legitimate interests,” the nationalistic Global Times tabloid wrote in a Chinese-language editorial carried by Xinhua News Agency.
“The trade war in the US is the creation of one person and one administration, but it affects that country’s entire population. In China, the entire country and all its people are being threatened. For us, this is a real ‘people’s war.'”
If the Trump administration were to impose the new tariffs on $300 billion of additional goods it would mean that $500 billion of Chinese goods coming into the US would be subject to tariffs.
That figure represents virtually all Chinese imports to the US.
In an English-language version of a Monday editorial, a Chinese tabloid said: “The US tariff moves are very much like spraying bullets. They will cause a lot of self-inflicted harm and are hard to sustain in the long term.”
“China, on the other hand, is going to aim with precision, trying to avoid hurting itself,” it said.
Where do you think this battle is heading? Do you think one side will back down? Do you believe this can be settled with more negotiations? We look forward to seeing your comments.