Ambassador: TCM has lessons for trade

The principles of traditional Chinese medicine offer valuable insights into resolving the escalating tariff or trade war between the world's two largest economies, a situation that China will "face fearlessly", says Beijing's top envoy in Washington.

"Emphasizing addressing both the symptoms and root causes and strengthening the foundation while nourishing the source, TCM offers useful references for moving beyond tariff war and trade war," Ambassador Xie Feng said on Saturday at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Open Day event at the embassy.

Xie likened international trade disputes to health issues that require long-term care, warning that short-term remedies — or prescriptions imposed on others for one's own illness — could worsen the situation.

To illustrate his point, Xie said global growth has stalled not because of external threats but because of internal stagnation.

"The main reason why global growth has hit a bottleneck is that it lacks momentum," he said. "So, instead of fighting over the existing turf, a wiser solution will be making the pie bigger from a long-term perspective."

Xie cautioned against the detrimental effects of protectionist policies, drawing historical parallels to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which is widely regarded as having exacerbated the Great Depression.

"Tariff barriers would clog the flow of international trade and devastate the health of the world economy," he said. "Tributaries will dry up when there is no water in the main river."

Highlighting the interconnectedness of global economies, he said weaponizing interdependence would only lead to self-isolation and backfire.

Drawing analogies from TCM, Xie emphasized the importance of harmony and balance, akin to the concept of balancing the opposing forces of yin and yang.

"A good traditional Chinese medicine recipe usually combines different ingredients that reinforce one another and create the best medical effect," he said.

"Likewise, the Earth is big enough to accommodate both China and the United States. We should pursue peaceful coexistence rather than collide head-on, and help each other succeed rather than get caught in a lose-lose scenario."

Xie highlighted TCM's role in fostering people-to-people exchanges, mentioning acupuncture demonstrations during former US president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China and a recent viral livestream of a US YouTuber who experienced headache relief in three minutes after pulse diagnosis and acupuncture.

Xie said acupuncture is legally recognized in 47 US states and Washington, DC. In addition, a growing number of US people are becoming fans of taijiquan, baduanjin and other traditional Chinese exercises.

"All these have forged close ties between our people, which should not be cut off," Xie said.

Bottom line

Still, he struck a firm tone on China's bottom line. "China firmly opposes tariff war or trade war of any form. If any country insists on imposing tariff war or trade war on us, we will definitely face it fearlessly and take resolute countermeasures."

He contrasted protectionism with China's recent economic activity, particularly expos and trade fairs, which showed growing foreign interest and investment amid international economic and trade disruptions.

Concluding his speech with an ancient Chinese saying, "The greatest physicians save a country; the second-greatest save individuals", Xie said Chinese civilization advocates promoting the common good of the entire world and benefiting each human being.

"Time has proved and will continue to prove how far China's recipe will go," he said.

Also on Saturday, the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco hosted Chinese Language Day celebrations, as students showcased their appreciation for Chinese language and culture through various performances.

Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin addressed the gathering, highlighting the significance of learning a language.

"By celebrating the Chinese Language Day, we are actually celebrating cultural diversity, and by learning Chinese, you will find that it makes you more confident, makes you more well prepared, and gives you the key to open the door of many opportunities," he told the students.

"It will enable you to understand better China's ancient history, and it will enable you to know much better the latest progress that is unfolding in China every day."

During the celebration, award-winning pieces from an essay contest titled "China in My Eyes" were displayed, offering personal narratives of the students' Chinese-learning experiences.

Jin Ying, executive director of the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools, said there has been a "tremendous growth" of Chinese-language and cultural education in the US.

"Over the past few decades, Chinese has emerged as one of the fast-growing world languages in American K-12 schools," she said.

"Today, students across the country, from large urban centers to rural communities, are learning Chinese not just as a language, but as a gateway to understanding, connection and global citizenship."

Lia Zhu in San Francisco contributed to this story.