Beijing and Washington have just announced a 90-day tariff truce, with both sides agreeing to roll back tariffs. The United States will reduce tariffs on Chinese imports from 145 to 30 per cent, while China will lower its tariffs on American goods from 125 to 10 per cent. The agreement, reached during high-level talks in Geneva, marks a tentative step toward de-escalation—even as the broader trade conflict, underpinned by strategic mistrust, remains unresolved.

Understanding how the Chinese Communist Party frames this dispute internally remains essential. An article in the latest issue of the Party journal Qiushi offers a revealing example.

Titled The United States’ Attempt at Tariff Bullying Is Destined to Fail (美国关税霸凌的企图注定要落空), the piece delivers a sharply worded critique of Washington’s “reciprocal tariffs” and the broader “trade victimhood” narrative. It argues that U.S. protectionist policies are economically flawed and politically unilateralist—misreading the fundamentals of global trade and seeking to contain China’s rise.

The article articulates China’s rhetorical counter-position: that multilateralism, openness, and global interdependence remain the prevailing trends. It asserts that efforts to block China’s development are ultimately futile. It also expresses internal confidence, emphasising the resilience of China’s economy and the government’s policy preparedness.

This is not a technical policy document—readers seeking detailed positions may refer to Beijing’s white paper on China–U.S. trade relations published in April—but a rhetorical statement directed at Party members.

While the article’s critique of U.S. trade policy rests on sound economic reasoning—including the view that U.S. trade deficits stem from structural imbalances—it strikes an overly optimistic tone about China’s ability to weather the trade war with the United States, without substantiating this confidence.

The piece is published under the byline Qing Yuan (青原), possibly a homophone for 清源 (“cleansing the source”). The pseudonym has appeared rarely, in articles on U.S.–China trade and COVID-19 policy, and is likely linked to the Central Propaganda Department.

The full translation is below.

The United States’ Attempt at Tariff Bullying Is Destined to Fail

Qing Yuan

Recently, the United States government, in defiance of global opposition, has imposed so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all of its trade partners, triggering ongoing market turmoil and harming global economic development.

We must fully understand the nature and harms of the United States' "reciprocal tariff" policy, maintain strategic resolve, strengthen confidence in our development, focus on handling our own affairs well, and join hands with the international community to oppose tariff bullying, defend genuine multilateralism, and work together to build a better world.

The “trade victimhood narrative” does not hold water