日韩精品久久一区二区三区_亚洲色图p_亚洲综合在线最大成人_国产中出在线观看_日韩免费_亚洲综合在线一区

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Opinion
Home / Opinion / Global Lens

What US-China standoff means for the world

By Massoud Amin | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2025-06-06 07:12
Share
Share - WeChat
[Photo/VCG]

Leverage without a road map is pressure without direction. That's what the United States has been doing by staring down its third-largest trading partner from the tariff wall it is building — and calling it strategy. As the United States presses ahead with its devastating China policy, markets slide, shelves thin out, and pressure builds from inside the boardrooms of the US' largest companies.

What began as the US tactical escalation is now bordering on economic siege. More than $10 trillion has been wiped off from the stock market since the US ramped up its policy. Retailers, manufacturers, and supply chain leaders — from automobiles to technologies — have warned that critical inventory is slowing. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk and other once-aligned CEOs have sounded alarms. The public line remains firm, but the private consensus is shifting.

Inside the White House, there are signs of recalibration. Media reports confirm the US administration has reduced tariffs, bringing levels down from 145 percent to 30 percent, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledging the previous rates were "unsustainable". Pressure works.

Instead of public provocation, Beijing has moved strategically: President Xi Jinping has spent the past month touring Southeast Asia, deepening ties with Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries, while laying the groundwork for expanded economic partnerships across Europe. These are not symbolic gestures. They are structural shifts.

While the trade talks between China and the US in Geneva yielded a temporary tariff truce, both sides remain cautious. High-level engagement is still limited, with major sticking points, such as critical mineral exports and tech restrictions, left unresolved. Not surprisingly, both sides seem to be positioning for leverage rather than compromise. In the meantime, global supply chains remain under strain, inflationary pressure persists, and investor confidence continues to waver due to rising uncertainties.

What's missing is an endgame. Washington has not articulated a specific requirement or demand apart from expressing broad concerns over intellectual property rights protection, China's "industrial overcapacity", and the reshoring of sensitive supply chains. Beijing has not imposed broad counter-embargoes on the US, but it has made clear it will not back down or allow itself to be bullied or isolated on the economic front.

This is not a question of who wins a trade war. In many Western experts' eyes, it's whether the world's two largest economies pursuing global leadership can navigate volatility without confrontation. Strategic competition does not require antagonism but discipline, coherence and goal clarity.

The economic toll of the US' tariff policy is already high. In early April, significant losses were reported from global markets over a brief period of trading. Inflation pressure is mounting, with core costs expected to rise partly due to the effects of the tariffs, while consumer prices are projected to increase over the next 18 months as higher import costs and domestic production expenses take their toll.

Many small manufacturers in the US, which account for the majority of the country's manufacturing sector, are facing closures, with employment in the sector sharply declining, reflecting the broader challenges faced by the industry. Chinese online retailers such as Temu and Shein are either exiting the market or raising prices, because by ending the customs exemption which allowed duty-free entry to goods worth less than $800, the US administration has dented the business models of such retailers.

On the other hand, Europe is preparing digital taxes in retaliation, with several countries implementing or proposing levies targeting major US tech companies. And behind the curtain, key Southeast Asian economies have quietly signaled the US to now ask them to choose sides. They want continuity and stability.

This isn't about trade alone. It's about posturing, too. And it's happening against a backdrop of something larger: a global reassessment of how free societies respond to pressure. Democratic systems are being tested, not because they're weak, but because they work. In contrast, authoritarian models of control thrive in chaos. That's why the stakes here are higher than pricing indexes and shipping costs.

When economic tactics lack clarity, they metastasize into governance breakdowns. When foreign policy becomes personal performance, institutions fracture. The line between strategy and spectacle becomes too thin to hold. We've seen this before and know how it ends.

This is not a call to step back. It's a call to step up — with precision, not posturing. With terms, not theater. With leadership, not improvisations. We need leverage, but we also need a compass. Without one, the world doesn't follow; it fractures.

The next move matters. It should be measured, principled, and smart.

Let's fix the tone.

Let's define the terms.

The author is a fellow at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, chairman and president of Energy Policy and Security Associates, and a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at [email protected], and [email protected].

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 玖玖福利| 精品特级毛片 | 国内精品免费视频 | 一区二区三区国产在线 | 亚洲欧美日韩精品久久亚洲区 | 久久精品国产精品青草图片 | 日韩福利在线 | 欧美性猛交一区二区三区精品 | 日韩毛片欧美一级a网站 | 污视频免费网站 | 国产精品久久久久久久久久久搜索 | 色综合中文字幕 | 成人精品一区二区三区 | 国产亚洲精品久久久久久久久动漫 | 2021国产精品视频一区 | 欧美精品在线不卡 | 久久精品一区二区三区四区 | 神马电影网午夜 | 国产精品2020观看久久 | 日韩婷婷 | 欧美午夜性春猛交bbb | 日本精品一区二区三区在线 | 国产精品久久久一区二区三区 | 青草久久免费视频 | 亚洲日本va在线视频观看 | 亚洲国产午夜电影在线入口 | 婷婷视频在线观看 | 久操国产 | 91国在线国内在线播放 | 日韩精品久久久久久 | 麻豆专区一区二区三区四区五区 | 亚洲韩精品欧美一区二区三区 | 亚洲福利一区福利三区 | 日韩丝袜在线观看 | 欧美色欧美亚洲另类二区精品 | 99re6热只有精品免费观看 | 国产男女在线观看 | 啪啪大片 | 亚洲成人第一页 | 天天做天天爽 | 国产小网站 |