The head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, presented to his country as a bulwark of peace and stability in a world in chaos by the Donald Trump government. He warned about a return to the law of the jungle if more countries act as the United States in the search for their own interests above all.
While the Trump government disrupts world commercial relations and threatens to abandon alliances, China tries to improve its image, both nationally and abroad, and attacks against the domain of the West. “We will contribute certainty in this uncertain world,” Wang told reporters in Beijing Friday.
However, Wang’s description of China’s role conveniently minimized the friction that it has also caused. Chinese industrial policy has flooded the world of its products and promoted huge commercial imbalances. The Chinese Air Force threatens Taiwan’s self -governor island daily. His Navy has executed exercises with real fire near Australia and Vietnam.
However, China pointed to the United States on Friday, which has retired from international groups and pacts such as the World Health Organization and Paris Agreement on the climate. Trump’s government has also worried his allies by threatening to take Greenland and apparently put on the side of Russia in his war against Ukraine.
“The great powers must assume their international obligations and fulfill their role of great powers,” said Wang. “They should not have a mood of gain, much less intimidation.”
He made any mention of China’s own deployment of force, which has fueled tensions in the region. For example, the Boats of the Chinese Coast Guard assert Beijing’s claims over large southern China Sea strips sometimes ramming and overwhelming Filipino ships. (Wang described China’s activity in the region as defensive and described the Philippines as a western pawn).
His rhetoric, which presents China as a victim of American aggression, is very successful among the national public. For example, he partially attributed China’s economic problems to tariffs and US technological restrictions.
At the same time, Wang tried to strengthen confidence in China’s perspectives. Beijing has tried to attract foreign investment, which has decreased due to weak growth, China’s hard response to Covid pandemic and more strict national security laws.
He promised that the economy would recover, stating that it had demonstrated its resistance to overcoming the 2008 world financial crisis. He said that China was entering a new phase defined by “an even more wonderful and high quality development”, in reference to Beijing’s strategy to try to boost its economy with cutting -edge technology, such as electric vehicles.
But the economy faces deeply entrenched problems such as high youth unemployment, the increase in public debt and a real estate crisis that has ended an important part of household wealth and has made many Chinese consumers be willing to spend.
Things could get worse if the commercial conflict between China and the United States continues to aggravate. The Trump government has imposed a 20 percent cumulative tariff on Chinese products, qualifying it as retaliation because Beijing has not done what is necessary to stop the flow of fentanyl and migrants to the United States.
Wang said that Beijing would respond firmly to the actions of the US government, if Trump imposed more tariffs.
“If they choose to cooperate, they will achieve mutual benefits and beneficial results for all; If they exercise blindly, China will hire with firmness and determination, ”said Wang.
Wang said that the United States should “look inside” solutions to the fentanyl crisis and not blame countries as China of the problem, much less impose tariffs. He also accused Trump’s government of having “two faces” to China, a wink to Trump’s approach to publicly offer approaches to the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, while affecting the country with commercial measures.
“No country can fantasize that it can suppress and contain China and, at the same time, develop good relations with China,” said Wang.
Earlier this week, Chinese diplomats used even more firm rhetoric in response to Trump’s tariffs. “If the United States has other intentions and insists on a tariff, commercial or any other type, China will fight until the end,” said Lin Jian, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, with its economy in crisis, China cannot afford to get out of control. At the same time he has hired, the Chinese government has urged the United States to establish conversations, equally. On Thursday, Chinese Minister Wang Wentao told the press that last month he wrote to the US Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and the US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, to invite them to meet.
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Beijing seems to be sure of Trump’s intentions and is waiting to see if his tariffs are a negotiation tactic that finally takes the US government to request commercial conversations. Last month, Trump told journalists that a commercial agreement with China was “possible.” That could include resuming a non -compliance commercial agreement of 200,000 million dollars signed with XI during its first term.