Xi Jinping is not satisfied with winning the trade war

[SunnyinBangrak]

2 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

Today's newspapers are all reporting

First 5 words and a blue/yellow avatar. Say no more😅

[Magictoad]

2 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

Today's newspapers are all reporting on the front page that China refuses to open any negotiations with the USA until the unilateral tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration are withdrawn in a unilateral manner. China reserves the right to evaluate later whether or not to reciprocate by removing the tariffs imposed on American goods.

 

Donald Trump has put himself in a truly difficult situation. Xi Jinping is not satisfied with winning the trade war. He wants to humiliate him and make him look like a fool. By doing this, Xi Jinping wants to send a direct message to the American voters "You elected a buffoon to the White House: you are now treated like buffoons".

 

Trump has only himself to blame for the dire straits he finds himself in, just three months after Inauguration Day. Himself and the small group of sycophants posing as economists and international trade strategists he surrounds himself with.

 

After threatening to fire Powell for weeks, Trump, under pressure from the markets, had to bite the bullet and backtrack, publicly stating that he never really had any intention of getting rid of him.

I wonder if Donald Trump realizes how fortunate he is that Powell has a commendable sense of responsibility to the nation and its citizens. One can only imagine the drama that would have unfolded on Wall Street and beyond, had Powell resigned in contempt for Trump’s public behavior.
The US dollar has already lost about 10% of its value against major currencies since Inauguration Day, and the yield on treasuries (the cost of government debt) has already risen even without the farce of Powell's (constitutionally dubious) firing.

 

So here is Donald Trump, once again in the position of having to swallow a bitter pill. He can choose between dropping his pants and unilaterally withdrawing the tariffs imposed on China, or letting Americans be hit with the impossible 145% tariff that would cause immense economic damage in a matter of weeks.

And once again I wonder if Donald Trump realizes how lucky he is. China has chosen to reciprocate by imposing its own tariffs on American imports and by penalizing the United States by introducing a ban on the sale of rare earths and metals. It will take some time for American citizens to feel the effects of these sanctions.

Just imagine what would have happened if China decided to impose export tariffs on the goods (consumer electronics, shoes, clothing) that Americans need and want most—the very same goods that the Trump administration hastily excluded from tariffs. Not only inflation would have skyrocketed, but companies like Apple, Nike, Walmart and Target (who act both as exporters in China and importers in the USA) would have seen their profits evaporate in a matter of weeks.

 

What would have been unimaginable only a short time ago is now unfolding under our own eyes: China is humiliating the American giant in the person of its (incompetent and reckless) president. And President Trump is about to learn that international relations are not like buying a property in Manhattan, or negotiating a loan with Deutsche Bank, or hammering out the supply of cement from the monopoly hold by the five families of the Italian-American mafia in New York.

 

But make no mistake. After losing face with China, Donald Trump will make up for it by beating, hands down, America's long-time allies: Canada and Mexico are first in line, Europe, Japan and Korea to follow, not to mention the unfortunate penguins of Heard Island and McDonald Island, who will no longer be able to export their precious guano to the United States. 

Isn't this what true bullies do?

 

Xi is the real bully. Killing of millions of Christians & Uigirs with the complicity of Thailand. 30 millions of Uiguirs have been massacred by the Chinese leader. Whilst people crow about Trump's idiocy they would do well to consider Xi and his Communist cohorts and their MURDEROUS regime. As far as I know Trump has not killed .millions of people yet. Make no mistake Xi is the bad guy & people who support him rather than Trump should be ashamed of themselves. Americans especially.

[Screaming]

It seems that China is capitulating to Trump according to CNN:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/25/business/china-us-tariffs-semiconductors-exemptions-hnk-intl/index.html

 

 

 

 

[sharot724]

56 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

Xi is the real bully. Killing of millions of Christians & Uigirs with the complicity of Thailand. 30 millions of Uiguirs have been massacred by the Chinese leader. Whilst people crow about Trump's idiocy they would do well to consider Xi and his Communist cohorts and their MURDEROUS regime. As far as I know Trump has not killed .millions of people yet. Make no mistake Xi is the bad guy & people who support him rather than Trump should be ashamed of themselves. Americans especially.

Covid19 anyone

[candide]

2 hours ago, save the frogs said:

 

Makes foreign US exports cheaper too.

Again, I'm no economist, but there are contradictory things going on in economics. 

Same with interest rates, which Trump is at odds with the Federal Reserve. But there are pros and cons of high vs low interest rates.

Let me know when you finish your Phd in Economics, because it seems rather complex to me. 

 

The contradiction lies between Trump's different promises, in particular as regards inflation.

Devaluation usually triggers inflation (on top of the effect of tariffs), so it's in contradiction with one of Trump's major promises. It's the same with lowering interest rates, which may also increase inflation. Of course, because of inflation, the advantage of a cheaper currency for exporting is neutralised after some time.

[candide]

1 hour ago, Magictoad said:

Xi is the real bully. Killing of millions of Christians & Uigirs with the complicity of Thailand. 30 millions of Uiguirs have been massacred by the Chinese leader. Whilst people crow about Trump's idiocy they would do well to consider Xi and his Communist cohorts and their MURDEROUS regime. As far as I know Trump has not killed .millions of people yet. Make no mistake Xi is the bad guy & people who support him rather than Trump should be ashamed of themselves. Americans especially.

No one claims that Xi and the current Chinese regime are laudable. No one also claims (apart maybe from one or two posters) that China is fully playing by the books in terms of international trade, and that it shouldn't be opposed.

 

The main claim is that Trump is doing it in a dumb and erratic way, as this thread shows.

[LosLobo]

1 hour ago, Screaming said:

It seems that China is capitulating to Trump according to CNN:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/25/business/china-us-tariffs-semiconductors-exemptions-hnk-intl/index.html

 

Not quite — this isn’t China “capitulating” to Trump. If anything, Trump capitulated first. He talked tough on tariffs — phones, TVs, semiconductors — then walked them back when they hit U.S. consumers and businesses.
 

China’s response is a measured tit-for-tat, not surrender. Xi is easing tariffs to protect key sectors, not backing down — it’s tactical, not submissive.
 

Xi already played his ace with the rare earth export ban. The U.S. relies on rare earths for smartphones, EVs, F-35s, missiles — critical tech and defense gear. Replacing China’s supply dominance could take 5–10 years, even with heavy investment.

Until then, China holds the cards.

When you poke the bear… don’t be surprised if he doesn’t want to be your friend.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-25/china-dominates-rare-earths-leaving-trump-with-dud-hand/105213972

[Tug]

Maybe XI wants trump to give more concessions like he’s giving to putin as he try’s to assist putin with his war……just saying might be jealous of trump’s complete abject surrender to putin.perhaps XI wants a guarantee of no interference when he attacks Taiwan before he lets trump off the hook.don’t know but wouldn’t surprise me one bit.the galling thing to me is this is all self inflicted by trump.time to flush folks

[RayC]

5 hours ago, Yagoda said:

LOL. Sure. And the AfD wont be part of governing Germany

 

Not sure where it leaves Tesla, but the AfD won't be part of the German government unless the other parties change their stance towards it. 

[placeholder]

5 hours ago, Magictoad said:

Xi is the real bully. Killing of millions of Christians & Uigirs with the complicity of Thailand. 30 millions of Uiguirs have been massacred by the Chinese leader. Whilst people crow about Trump's idiocy they would do well to consider Xi and his Communist cohorts and their MURDEROUS regime. As far as I know Trump has not killed .millions of people yet. Make no mistake Xi is the bad guy & people who support him rather than Trump should be ashamed of themselves. Americans especially.

No doubt China's treatment of the Uighurs is disgraceful. But not even Genocide Watch supports your looney claims of 30 million killed. Or even a million Or even 100,000..In fact, they make no charges of mass slaughter at all. The worst reference is to the murder of 200 Uighurs by Chinese troops during a protest.

Chinese genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang continues

https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/chinese-genocide-of-uyghurs-in-xinjiang-continues

 

Stop making things up.

 

Still, it's good to see you standing up for oppressed Muslims,