Trade war is about more than just trade, China’s official news agency argues
Xinhua said the trade fight is “an encounter between two fundamentally different visions in this age of economic globalization.”
Delivery couriers sort out parcels for their customers underneath a tunnel during a rainy day in Beijing on May 9, 2025. | Andy Wong/AP
By David Cohen
05/11/2025
China’s official state news agency argued that the ongoing trade war between the United States and China is about much more than tariffs.
“At its heart, this is not just a trade dispute — it is an encounter between two fundamentally different visions in this age of economic globalization: one rooted in openness, cooperation and shared growth; the other driven by confrontation, exclusion, and zero-sum mentality,” Xinhua wrote in commentary published early Sunday.
Writing in support of globalism, Xinhua added: “China will firmly reject any proposal that compromises core principles or undermines the broader cause of global equity.”
The listed authors of the article were Gao Wencheng and Fan Yu, but Xinhua is the official state news agency of China and it only carries Chinese Communist Party-approved messaging.
In Sunday’s commentary, Xinhua argued that the United States is hurting itself with its trade positions.
“For the United States itself,” Xinhua wrote, “its tariff offensive amounts to economic self-harm: while it cannot cure underlying structural problems, it has triggered financial market volatility, fueled domestic inflation, eroded industrial capacity and raised the risk of recession.”
In contrast, Xinhua contended, China is taking a different path.
“At a time when globalization is under strain and protectionism is on the rise, China has chosen not to lock itself up. Instead, it has doubled down on opening up, advancing trade and investment liberalization with renewed determination and creating opportunities for shared development across the globe,” Xinhua said. “China’s position is clear: no matter how the global landscape shifts, it will remain committed to openness.”
President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed “a total reset” of relations with China after talks in Switzerland involving Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, adding, “Great progress made.” The negotiations followed a deal that the Trump administration reached last week with the United Kingdom.
To settle this trade battle, the Chinese publication said the Trump administration must rethink how it views tariffs and trade.
“If Washington is truly committed to resolving trade frictions through dialogue, it must first confront the harm its tariff-driven policies have inflicted not only on the global trading system, but also on its own economy and citizens,” Xinhua said.