This is pure coincidence.
On the same day that Russia announced President Putin's visit to China, the White House announced that it would impose tariffs on some Chinese products.
Putin's visit to China is well understood.
After Putin is re-elected president, he needs to visit a large country of equal status to demonstrate Russia's international status. In the current international situation, only China can give Russia such treatment.
So obviously, this is a courtesy that we have given to President Putin. After all, we have also endured a lot of international pressure for this. Of course, in order to maintain a peaceful and stable international order, we must jointly and resolutely oppose the bullying and unreasonable suppression of other countries in the world by the United States.
Biden's tariffs on China can be regarded as a request for China? I'm afraid I'm putting gold on my face, right?
Not really. Biden really has something to ask us for.
From Biden's various approaches to raising taxes this time, we can see very clearly.
First of all, the statement of the US side is very strange.
The United States has violated trade rules by imposing tariffs on some Chinese goods, which will inevitably arouse China's opposition and reciprocal retaliation.
U.S. government officials, however, have said calmly that they don't think the tariffs will exacerbate tensions with China, and they expect China to explore how to deal with the new taxes on its products.
Under what circumstances will the U.S. tariffs on China "not exacerbate tensions with China"?
It was when these tariffs had little impact on China. Teacher Zhao Benshan said that acne grows on the back and does not make people worry.
Take a look at the tariffs imposed by the United States this time, it is really "on the back".
According to U.S. media reports, the U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods include:
- Certain steel and aluminium products will rise from 0-7.5% to 25% this year, and battery components will rise from 7.5% to 25%.
- The tariff rate on electric vehicles will quadruple this year, from 25% to 100%.
- Tariffs on EV batteries will jump from 7.5% to 25% this year and from 7.5% to 25% in 2026 for non-EV batteries.
- Tariffs on certain other critical minerals will increase from zero to 25% this year.
- Tariffs on solar cells will increase from 25% to 50% this year.
- Tariffs on syringes and needles will increase from zero to 50% this year.
- Tariffs on certain personal protective equipment, including certain respirators and masks, will increase from 0-7.5% to 25% this year.
- By 2025, tariffs on semiconductors will increase from 25% to 50%.
- Tariffs on natural graphite and permanent magnets will increase from zero to 25% in 2026.
- Tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026.
After reading this tariff list, it is not difficult to find that these tariffs look really "insignificant".
At present, very few Chinese electric vehicles are sold to the US market, and the US tariffs have little impact on China.
For solar-related products, China has become the most complete industrial system in the world, and there is no better choice for the United States to raise tariffs.
As for other medical devices such as masks, needles, and personal protective equipment, there is no advantage in producing them in the United States. The United States is willing to raise tariffs, but it is simply because it can't get along with itself.
What's more, many tariffs won't be implemented until 2025 or even 2026.
What does this mean? The United States will complete the election at the end of the year, and it is still a question whether Biden will be able to be elected by then.
If he doesn't, those tariffs will obviously be eliminated by Trump. According to the principle that I will oppose what you support.
Therefore, Biden's speculative implication of these tariffs on China is too obvious. It's just about going to the elections and the ballots.
U.S. officials have been secretive about this, but AFP has been blunt.
Agence France-Presse writes that government officials stressed that the tariff decision was made independently of the presidential election in November. But officials noted that the tariffs would help workers in Pennsylvania and Michigan, two key states that determine who wins the election.
That is, the Biden administration is only helping the two states that are most critical to the election out of good intentions, but really not for the election. As for whether you believe it or not, that's what U.S. government officials believe anyway.
So Biden's operation, the meaning on the table and under the table is very clear.
On the table, it is to be tough on China in order to gain more votes. Under the table, I tried my best to give China a look, buddy, be accommodating, I'm just making a show. If I don't get elected, Trump will impose more tariffs.
In fact, before Biden did this, Yellen and Blinken had been sent to China one after another last month to do work.
China's reaction to the tariffs was "strong."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded: Oppose! All necessary measures will be taken to defend rights.
The Ministry of Commerce also said that China firmly opposes it and makes solemn representations.
But what kind of response measures will be taken? It is estimated that it will be kept for the first time and see how it goes.
Finally, what do you think?
First of all, for China, the United States and Russia, China and Russia are now more confident in their dealings with the United States. Russia has consolidated its favorable situation on the battlefield, resisted the sanctions imposed by the United States and the West, and now has the initiative on the battlefield and the initiative in the situation. Moreover, Putin's smooth re-election has consolidated Russia's domestic political stability.
China has also withstood the strong containment and suppression of the United States, and has opened up the situation one after another in science and technology, foreign trade, diplomacy and other aspects, and the US containment and containment policy has failed one after another. Only the United States, and it is not yet known which old man will come to fool the American people into continuing some senseless struggles next year.
Second, the U.S. move to impose tariffs has long been proven to have failed. Trump fought a trade war with China for two or three years, and it ended in failure. Biden is now picking up the old weapon again, apparently embarrassed to say that he is following in Trump's footsteps.
Biden stressed that its tariffs are more strategic, picking only areas of strategic importance to the United States. But we really don't see what strategic significance these fields of medical devices, steel and aluminum, and batteries can have for the United States? The United States has no advantage in producing these goods. Even if it doesn't import from China, it will import from other countries. In addition, Biden also stressed that these measures of the United States are being promoted with allies and are not going it alone like Trump.
However, the fact is that there are simply no other countries following suit. I also learned a few words from von der Leyen in the European Union, accusing the so-called overcapacity, but Germany and France have no intention of following up.
Third, after the frantic trade war with Trump and Biden's decoupling and chain breaking, China has long been immune to US tariffs. China has largely established a pattern by shifting the focus of its trade, basing more trade on top of the countries of the Global South, cultivating new markets, and maintaining necessary economic and trade ties with the United States. Some goods that the United States does not import from China and eventually have to detour to a third country to buy from China. So China is not afraid at all now. After all, tariffs are never meant to hurt others, but also to themselves. If a country can save its industry with tariffs, any country will do it, let alone the United States.
In the end, China's counterattack card has not been played. If the U.S. tariffs do adversely affect China, then China has every means to retaliate by reducing imports of agricultural products and other goods to key U.S. states. That's enough for an American to drink a pot.
However, we are happy to see the Americans fight us, which is equivalent to free sparring. When the United States has all the tricks it can do, we really don't have to take the United States seriously.