Other motives behind tariffs, experts say

The escalating trade dispute initiated by the Trump administration is not meant to address the trade imbalance between China and the United States, but to curb China's technological market expansion, experts said on Sunday.

As China upgrades its manufacturing base through the Made in China 2025 plan, the US, the world's only superpower, cannot accept this and sees China's fast development as a threat to its global dominance, said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, a government think tank.

"Therefore, it is inevitable for the US to adopt unilateral and protectionist practices to stem China's growth," he said.