China’s steel to fight the tariff, has a biggest test since Kofid

For the two men at the forefront of the trade war that began to tear the relations between the largest economies in the world, the question that will come first has become.

On the one hand, President Trump, who launched a sabotage plan to transform the modern global trading system with definitions – is only to retreat hours after in effect, stopping import duties for each country except China.

On the other hand, there is Shi Jinping, chief leader in China, who has a good reputation in rejecting the return. She holds China’s narrow restrictions After a long period of the point where they were working. Press his goal He made China the world leader In electric cars and solar panels, although alert from commercial partners about the cheap exports flood.

Now, while Mr. Xi faces what could be the biggest test of his leadership since the epidemic, it was true. On Friday, his government escalated its response to Mr. Trump, as definitions of American imports raised to 125 percent, despite fears that the long trade war could deepen economic distress in China. Before this announcement, Mr. Shi had a confident memo in his first general comments on commercial illness.

“There will be no winners in the tariff war warfare, and the world will only isolate,” said Mr. Shi.

“For more than 70 years, China has always relied on self -reliance and hard work for development,” Mr. Xi continued. “Never depended on anyone’s gifts and is not afraid of any unreasonable repression.”

Mr. Shi can be more stubborn than his American counterpart.

As the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zaidong, he besieged himself with loyalists, wiped his opponents and imposed narrow social controls to strangle the opposition. He designed himself as a strong man with a national vision to renew China. Its officials have mobilized state funds to stabilize Chinese financial markets, as stocks around the world decreased on the definitions.

“Shi spent in his entire career in the country’s hardening specifically this moment,” said Joseph Torijian, associate professor at the American University of Washington, studying the elite policy in China. “It is possible that it is believed that the Chinese political system is superior to the American system because it contains greater cohesion and discipline. It may be believed that the Chinese people will sacrifice for the task of a national renewal.”

Mr. Shi can play the long game. He does not have any elections that must be taken into account and is enabled to judge China indefinitely, and existence It canceled the limits of the presidential period In 2018, Mr. Trump should leave his position in 2029 (although he suggested that he might challenge the constitution and take a third round at the White House).

Mr. Xi can also refer to the trade war as a justification for his repeated warnings about Western hostility towards China-the declared cause of a comprehensive approach to national security and investment in a global army at the expense of other needs. Mr. Trump’s decision to give every country, but China resorted to its definitions strengthens this narration.

“This will actually rescue Xi Jinping from having to take responsibility for the lack of economic growth in China,” said Jessica Titz, a political scientist at Middlebberry College in Vermont, and an expert in Chinese policy. “Chinese citizens and business leaders will consider this out of control.”

China’s advertising members gathered the country in a long battle.

People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, has published a Washington’s written article to a group of pirates. Delies Delies reported that Chinese diplomats concluded ranks, as one of the officials called for a “diplomatic army” “loyal to the party, courage in taking responsibility, boldness to fight and strict discipline.

Mao Ning, a Chinese chief foreign ministry spokeswoman, posted a video of Mao Zidong during the Korean War – known in China as the war to resist American aggression and assisting Korea – in which he declared, “Regardless of the period that this war will take, we will never give up.”

“We are Chinese. We are not afraid of provocatives. We do not retreat,” Mrs. Mao wrote in office.

Dali Yang, a professor at the University of Chicago, who studies Chinese policy, said that such messages were certainly would continue.

Professor Yang said: “There will be undoubtedly continuous efforts to blame the United States, especially Trump, his rapid movements and repercussions,” adding that the party “has strong capabilities to effectively reach ordinary people.”

Despite all his strength, Mr. Shi is not immune to popular discontent, analysts say. Certainly, China will feel the pain of Mr. Trump’s tariff, which amounted to at least 145 percent – an amazing number that offers the country’s $ 400 billion exports to the United States, its largest market.

Indeed, factories near the Guangzhou manufacturing center that provides clothes for American consumers closed So that there is more clarity on the definitions. In the event of the spread of such a closure, it can exacerbate the unemployment problem in China, which makes it difficult for policymakers to stimulate the economy that has been beaten by the property crisis and drained trust.

For Mr. Shi, the test is likely to be whether the party can keep the ordinary Chinese people alongside it and help them withstand any economic pain from the trade war.

When another Mr. Xi faced another challenge on this scale – the Korona virus pandemic – his response was initially a pride point for many Chinese. For more than two years, China numbers have kept a largely low numbers with bloc tests and sudden clients.

But A company held For this strict policy until 2022, when the rest of the world was learning to live with the virus. Anger from mass closure led to some of the biggest protests throughout China for decades. The disappointment with the country’s direction led to exit Of the wealthy Chinese and members of the professional class.

“The Chinese population may not be in a mood after Covid,” said Mr. Torijian. “The economy has fought for apostasy. I doubt that Shi Jinping is blind to this problem.”

“Even if you think you have a strong repressive ability to harm the skeptics and the fake story of the supporters, economic turmoil is still dangerous because you never know how bad they are and whether they will turn into something worse,” said Mr. Torijian.

Analysts said this economic reality indicates that Mr. Xi will likely accept a slope from facing the customs tariff if Mr. Trump introduces one. China said it does not want a trade war, but its officials insisted that any deal depends on the United States that China is treating equally.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump took a softer tone of China, saying that Mr. Xi “was a friend of mine for a long time.”

“We will see what is happening with China,” said Mr. Trump. “We would like to be able to make a deal.”

Perry Wang Hong Kong reports contributed to the reports.