Time to test Washington's sincerity: China Daily editorial

At the heart of the economic and trade tensions between China and the United States lies a narrative that, in trying to besmirch China's image, actually places the blame squarely on the US.

The narrative is that China has been a leech on the US, taking advantage of it in whatever way it can to free-ride its achievements, and that by doing so it threatens the US' shining glory as the pinnacle of human progress.

The principal proponent of this narrative has been the White House's chief trade adviser, Peter Navarro, who has been the driving force behind the trade war with China during the president's first term and the driving force behind the tariff attack of his second administration, which is aimed at coercing the US' trade partners to align with the US in decoupling from China.

Ironically, Navarro is likely to go down in infamy as having done as much damage to the US' status, credibility and economy, as various US administrations have with their financially draining and morally bankrupting military adventurism in the name of "American exceptionalism".

Having architectured the tariff war, he has not only cashed out any vestiges of trust the international community may have had in the US as a team player, but also triggered the decline of the US stock market and turmoil in the US bond market and shaken the international currency status of the dollar. His claim that the tariffs would help push companies to expand manufacturing in the US, thus creating more jobs and boosting growth, is also looking more and more like wishful thinking.

The US Federal Reserve warned of the "risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation" as a result of the tariff rollout, as it announced another rate cuts pause on Wednesday.

US businesses are also warning of the risk of lost opportunities as a result of the US tariff policy and export restrictions targeting China. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Tuesday that China will likely be a $50 billion artificial intelligence market in two to three years. "It would be a tremendous loss not to be able to address it as an American company. It's going to bring back revenues, it's going to bring back taxes, it's going to create lots of jobs here in the United States."

Just days after the US administration adopted its unlawful and unjustified unilateral tariffs on the US' trade partners, US officials were crowing that around 70 countries had already called to strike deals. Navarro even predicted there would be 90 deals in 90 days. But more than a month has passed, and no deals have materialized.

The second round of tariff talks between the US and Japan ended last week with no major breakthrough made. And talks with the European Union, the US' largest trading partner, have also come to a standstill, with Brussels having expressed its resolve to hold its line in defense of the 27-member bloc's economic interests.

China, on its part, has taken resolute and forceful countermeasures to protect its rights and interests. And its legitimate defensive actions have served to clarify that it is the US that bears responsibility for the damage being done to the global economy and world trade system.

The self-harming repercussions of the US' unjustified, irrational and unreasonable tariffs and the appeal of China's principled stance have prompted the US administration to reach out to China, with a view to working something out.

China has indicated that it is willing to oblige, but made it clear that the planned communication in Geneva on the weekend is a prologue, not an ending. The US side should not mistake its willingness to engage in constructive discussions as a sign that it has in any way compromised its position, which stands firmly on the grounds of international legality and the importance of considering the broader interests of the international community.

China remains firmly opposed to bullying and hegemonic behavior of any form. By standing on clear principles and setting red lines before any negotiations take place, China has underscored its nuanced strategy that balances the imperative of safeguarding its core interests with a willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve differences, while championing a more equitable and democratic international order. And while it is willing to address the concerns of US industry and consumers, it remains vigilant about the sincerity of the US side and seeks tangible actions that validate good intentions.

The unilateral tariff measures of the US have had an adverse impact not only on the US itself, but also the global community. The US should adhere to the international economic and trade rules that the rest of the international community abides by, demonstrate sincerity in conducting mutually beneficial trade, and rectify its misguided view of international relations as being zero-sum.