Marianne Björklund: China tightens up the tone considerably from the united states

It was to be expected. That China would somehow respond to Donald Trump's decision to more than double duties on chinese goods worth 200 billion dollars. Late on Monday night announced the country's ministry of foreign affairs his counterattack: the duties on american products worth 60 billion dollars is raised. It focuses in particular on the imported beef, lamb, pork and coffee which will now be subject to an additional fee. Duties strikes straight against the american countryside, where Trump has his kärnväljare.

at the same time raises China the pitch against the united states substantially. From the to have kept a rather neutral and held back the attitude starts now, the nationalistic feeling has whipped up. The state news agency, Xinhua, going so far as to disseminate a nationalist editorial where trade wars are compared with the ”people's war”, a term that was introduced by Mao Zedong after japanese troops had invaded China.

CCTV, which refers to the national feelings had rapidly spread in social media. Over three billion users are reported to have seen the element where the newsreader Kang Hui says:

– After 5 000 years of trials and hardships, what kind of battle, the chinese people have not gone through? Trade wars that the US has launched against China is nothing more than an important unifying crossroads in China's development. There is nothing to worry about. China must stand strong, be confident, and take themselves out of the difficulties.

Framsläppandet of nationalistic comments can be seen as a way to prepare and motivate the people on the face of a long-drawn-out trade war that threatens to hit the chinese economy.

worried about what the increased duties shall entail. Especially in business and among the middle class, there is a concern that exports will decline and that companies are choosing to move their production to other countries. Meanwhile, the radical nationalist forces who would show his resentment against the USA and looks Trumps action as an evidence of what they knew all along, that the united states really does not want China to have a beneficial economic development.

so far kept the latter back, which can be interpreted as China still sees a chance for a trade agreement with the united states. No protests similar to those when China and Japan were fighting about two disputed islands in the East china sea has not yet been seen. When drew thousands of chinese people out on the streets, japanese flags were burnt and businesses boycotted, with the communist party's good memory.

he still thinks that the relationship to China and its president Xi Jinping is very good. The american president is, however, as is so often contradictory. While he has expressed hopes for a solution when he meets his chinese colleague at the G20 summit in Osaka in the end of June, he continues to tweet about how good the customs are for the u.s. economy and that no agreement is not an issue so long as China does not really begin to compete on equal terms.

the united states requires, among other things, China reduce government involvement in their businesses, cease the theft of teknikhemligheter and allows foreign companies to operate at the same conditions in the Prc as domestic companies.

the escalation of the conflict up further. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on virtually all chinese goods in the summer. China is bound to continue responding. Economists warn of significant economic losses for both parties. Ultimately, it affects the entire world economy. The financial markets are clearly worried. Stock markets have fallen in both the united states and Asia, while the chinese currency renmibin has lost value.

Read also: China raises tariffs on U.S. goods.