Withstand, persevere and stand firm! Top official talks up China's tariff stance

Editor's note:

"Nobody wins in a trade war," warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Two weeks after the US slashed unreasonably high tariffs on China, Zhou Hanmin, president of the Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association and also a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, held an exclusive interview with Shanghai Observer, a major Chinese news portal, discussing the US tariff polices and China's response. Here's the first part of the translated interview.

"What we are witnessing now is a tariff war, a trade war, and a tech war rolled into one."

Q: Has the current escalating tariff war surprised you?

A: It is a tactical move by the US, a part of a larger trade war. The US trade war against China is a long-term strategic effort. It didn't start in 2018, and certainly not in 2025. Since the 1980s, even before China's World Trade Organization accession talks, the US has used Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act to conduct annual Congressional reviews of China.

The situation has changed dramatically since 2018. During Donald Trump's first term, the US imposed across-the-board tariffs of 10-25 percent on Chinese goods with no exemptions. These tariffs have not been reduced even to this day. Now, based on groundless accusations, the US has added an extra 34 percent in tariffs, raising them without justification and finally reaching an absurd rate of 245 percent on April 16.

Beyond the tariff war, the US has launched investigations into key imported minerals, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. This is in addition to years of unreasonable anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures against Chinese commodities, as well as a technology war against China. What we are witnessing now is a tariff war, a trade war, and a tech war rolled into one. These interwoven attacks seek to exert maximum pressure, with the ultimate aim of delaying – or even halting – the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"It's impolite not to reciprocate."

Q: This time, China was among the earliest and most resolute to take countermeasures. At first, some people wondered whether our response was too tough?

A: "Tough" is definitely not the proper word (to describe China's response) – it was swift, firm, and in line with the basic principles of international law. The 245 percent tariff imposed by the US on China is unprecedented in the history of international trade. In contrast, China's counter-tariff was only 125 percent, and we clearly stated that any further tariff increase from the US would be ignored. This shows that our strategy is justified, measured and strategic.

At the same time, China has never shut, nor will it ever shut, the door to negotiations. From 2019 to 2021, we reached a Phase One agreement after 13 rounds of negotiations over 23 months – this is the best proof. Of course, any negotiation must be based on a fundamental principle, expressed in a Chinese saying: "It is impolite not to reciprocate." Now the "ball" is not in China's court; it's the US that is acting recklessly and unreasonably.

"Chinese goods entering the US are widely welcomed by American consumers."

Q: A kind of opinion holds that China's exports to the US only account for 14.7 percent of our total exports, implying …

A: That kind of talk is harmful. It seems to suggest that the US market can be abandoned. Let me be clear – it cannot be abandoned at all. Chinese goods entering the US are widely welcomed by American consumers. They entered the US market legitimately, based on our (competitive) strength. The US remains China's biggest single-country export market. It should be our long-term goal to promote comprehensive economic exchanges with the US. The US market is also crucial to China's modernization, and we should strive to develop beyond that 14.7 percent.

"First, withstand; second, persevere; third, stand firm."

Q: From the perspective of Chinese society, what consensus should be emphasized most right now?

A: First and foremost, China's integration with the world is a conscious, self-directed choice. Today, the country's reform and opening-up has reached a crucial stage – it's like climbing halfway up a mountain, where the path gets steeper, or sailing into midstream, where the waves grow higher. The more difficult it gets, the more determined we must be to carry it through. Now, the Chinese people's understanding of the US is clearer than ever, and they have expressed great support for the government's position. This is a time for unity, a time to focus on "managing our own affairs well."

I've summed this up in three words:

First, withstand – withstand this unprecedented pressure. If China can't do it, who else in the world can?

Second, persevere – persevere with national dignity and backbone.

Third, stand firm – stand firmly on the side of international justice and the right side of history.

At the core, we must uphold and fully implement reform and opening-up as our fundamental national policy.