China vows to ‘fight to the end’ as Trump tariff war rages
Total new US duties on Chinese goods could rise to 104% by Wednesday, if US president follows through his threats on new levies
[BEIJING] China vowed on Tuesday (Apr 8) to “fight to the end” against US tariffs as some citizens railed against US President Donald Trump after he singled out Beijing for further levies, setting the stage for a standoff between the world’s top two economies.
If Trump sticks to his plan for an additional 50 per cent tariff on China unless it withdraws its retaliatory levies on the US, total new US duties on Chinese goods this year could rise to 104 per cent by Wednesday.
Trump’s previous tariff increases are already squeezing Chinese exporters’ margins to the point of suffocation so further hikes would only serve to underscore Washington’s appetite for brinkmanship and its desire to cut China out of the world’s biggest consumer market as a matter of principle, analysts say.
But with global supply chains in jeopardy, Beijing is under pressure to respond as President Xi Jinping prepares to meet Spain’s prime minister, and begin a tour of South-east Asia.
“The US side’s threat to escalate tariffs against China is a mistake on top of a mistake, once again exposing the American side’s blackmailing nature,” the commerce ministry said in a statement. “If the US insists on having its way, China will fight to the end.”
Trump said that he would impose the additional 50 per cent duty on US imports from China on Wednesday if Beijing did not withdraw the 34 per cent tariffs it imposed on US products last week.
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The Chinese levies had come in response to “reciprocal” duties of 34 per cent announced by Trump, on top of tariffs of 20 per cent imposed earlier this year, lifting to 76 per cent the average US tariff on Chinese goods.
“If the tariffs keep going up and up, it becomes a battle of wills and principles rather than economics,” said Xu Tianchen, senior economist for China at the Economist Intelligence Unit. “Since China already faces a tariff rate in excess of 60 per cent, it doesn’t matter if it goes up by 50 per cent or 500 per cent.”
Beijing has stepped up efforts to shield its economy from global market turmoil following Trump’s announcement.
On Tuesday, the country’s state planner said that it had met domestic private firms, including Trina Solar, ride-hailing company Didi, and Goertek, to hear suggestions on how to deal with the additional duties.
The meeting, which took place in Beijing on Apr 8, was attended by Zheng Shanjie, chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the state planner said in a statement. The companies gave opinions and suggestions on stabilising employment in China and how to respond to external risks and challenges, the NDRC added. “The domestic development environment is stable and companies are confident to overcome difficulties,” it said.
Zheng said in “the face of external risks and challenges such as the imposition of tariffs by the US, we must unify our thoughts and actions with the decision-making.”
The NDRC will actively help private companies solve difficulties and promote the healthy and high-quality development of China’s private sector economy, it noted.
While several state holding companies pledged to increase share investment, a slew of listed companies unveiled buybacks, and the central bank pledged liquidity support for fund Central Huijin after it intervened to support sinking stocks.
But there is no escaping the fact that Trump’s affinity for tariffs risks derailing China’s largely export-led economic recovery given that no other country comes close to the consumption power of the US, where Chinese producers sell more than US$400 billion worth of goods annually.
The Chinese people “do not provoke trouble, nor are we afraid of it,” Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, told a regular press conference. “The Chinese people’s legitimate right to development must not be deprived.”
Trump’s tariffs will be felt particularly keenly as they target the two main strategies Chinese exporters have used to blunt the impact of the trade war: shifting some production abroad and boosting sales to non-US markets.
Ordinary people have also started to voice opposition, accusing the tariff-touting president of wanting to suppress the US’ rival.
“The tariffs on China were set too high, too high, and ordinary Chinese people just can’t accept that,” said Qi Xiushun, a 58-year-old resident of the commercial hub of Shanghai. “(The tariffs) are suppressing China’s economic development – these tariffs were mainly pushed by Trump, right?”
Dan Wang, a China expert at Eurasia Group, said that Trump had effectively already wiped out Chinese exporters’ profits once US import duties passed the 35 per cent mark. “After that, China shouldn’t export to the US at all. It could be 1,000 per cent, but since there is no trade, there is no harm.”
She added: “Europe is and will be the most profitable market for China now.”
Xi is expected to meet Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday, with the agenda likely to cover finding a resolution to trade tension with Brussels over China’s electric vehicle exports, as well as Trump’s broader tariff onslaught.
The Chinese leader will then visit Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia, three economies that gained from relocation by Chinese manufacturers to avoid US sanctions during Trump’s first term, but which now face steep levies of their own.
“I think (Trump’s) targeting us, targeting China,” said Wu Xing, a 34-year-old sales person, also from Shanghai, adding that she expected the tariffs would have a big impact on her. “As for the US, I think it’s targeting the whole world.”
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