TOPIC

US-China trade war: Opinion

US-China trade war: Opinion
Breaking news and analysis on the US-China trade war, its history and timeline, and the impact on the global economy.
Illustration: Craig Stephens
United States

Opinion | Only a global ‘de-risking’ from the US can stop Trump’s trade war

A unified response is essential. Operating independently would only play to Trump’s advantage, and render nations vulnerable to his bullying.

videocam
4
United States

Outside In | Like the Cheshire Cat, US reciprocal tariffs are hard to pin down

videocam
China economy

Editorial | Beijing’s ambitious plan can help to prime the consumption pump

US-China relations

Editorial | Walmart’s bid to force China to pay Trump tariffs is unacceptable

Chinese suppliers with already razor-thin margins should not have to bear the costs of Washington’s trade war.

9
US supermarket giant Walmart is attempting to shift the burden of US tariffs onto its Chinese suppliers.. File photo: AP
US-China relations

Opinion | Rampant trade tariffs are no cure for the US’ fentanyl crisis

The public health disaster results from the US’ painkiller culture. Meanwhile, tariff hikes are sparking serious concerns about a recession.

videocam
US-China relations

Opinion | The US-China Thucydides Trap is by no means a foregone conclusion

Instead, it’s a call to action. From helping mediate in Ukraine to investing in the US, China may yet defy historical negative trends.

videocam
11
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
United States

Outside In | America turning rogue is bad for the world but worse for itself

Trump’s dogmatic commitment to his tariff-driven policy will force others to adapt – by reducing their reliance on, and engagement with, the US.

videocam
5
US President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 4. Photo: TNS
Two Sessions 2025

Editorial | As US rivalry hots up, Beijing sets steady growth target and looks to wider world

China’s premier charts stable course through Trump global chaos on measured path to economic overhaul by managing internal and external risks.

videocam
United States

Opinion | In ‘fixing’ a trumped-up crisis, Trump may end up creating one

Trump’s inflationary policies risk sending both the stock market and dollar crashing, creating the very crisis he falsely claims to be confronting.

videocam
US-China relations

Opinion | People-to-people relations are the real glue of China-US ties

Despite the complex global landscape, Chinese and Americans have a genuine desire to expand mutually beneficial cooperation.

videocam
4
Illustration: Craig Stephens
United States

Opinion | Trump’s tariffs won’t make America great again, quite the opposite

Trump has vowed to defeat inflation and bring manufacturing back but his tariffs are actually hastening the decline he aims to reverse.

videocam
6
An attendee at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland, US, wears a Maga hat, on February 21. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

Outside In | Trump’s bid to collect tax on small Chinese parcels will cost the US

Chinese parcels make up two-thirds of de minimis imports exempt from customs taxes. But cost of processing would outweigh the tax collected.

videocam
6
US-China trade war

Opinion | Another US-China trade war? How about a war on income inequality

Instead of hiking tariffs, the US and China should focus on reducing their wealth gaps so more people can enjoy the benefits of trade.

videocam
Diplomacy

Opinion | In world of sound bites, leaders need a forum to engage with candour

We must reassess our levels of engagement in a world dominated by sound bites and social media. There is transformative power in genuine dialogue.

videocam
People watch US President Donald Trump speak at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 23. Most conferences adopt a one-directional format, with speakers on stage addressing a passive audience. Photo: Xinhua
United States

Macroscope | How Trump is setting US reputation and creditworthiness alight

Many investors continue to downplay or rationalise the damage Trump’s trade policy does, but there are signs the honeymoon might soon end.

videocam
8
US President Donald Trump holds a marker as he signs an executive order to create a US sovereign wealth fund, in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, in Washington, DC. As of February 5, Trump has issued 80 executive actions, including executive orders, proclamations and memos, according to the CNN. Photo: AFP
United States

Outside In | Trump’s plans have to contend with the law of unintended consequences

From trade to immigration, Trump’s agenda risks a backlash. The question is whether he sees the problem and will change tack.

videocam
US-China relations

Opinion | Will Trump succeed in containing China – or fuel its rise?

Years of sanctions and blacklists have only forced China to adapt and even thrive, from making tech breakthroughs to expanding diplomatic clout.

videocam
8
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Technology

Opinion | In the global marathon for tech supremacy, Brics’ size matters

Collaborative, flexible Brics gives leading members China and Russia a significant advantage over the increasingly defensive and restrictive West.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin chat at the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 24. The two countries are leading the way in collaboration from AI to moon exploration. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Editorial | As Trump begins his second term in the White House, an eerie feeling of deja vu

Inaugural speech sounds like a copy of what the US president said eight years ago, but now China is better prepared to meet his challenges.

videocam
US-China relations

Opinion | With deal-maker Trump, business cooperation could reset US-China ties

China can take a lesson from 1980s Japan, which defused bilateral frictions by strategically pivoting towards direct investment in US manufacturing.

videocam
United States

Opinion | Trump’s plans could trigger liquidity crises across Europe and Asia

Inflationary pressure and a growing deficit would turn the US into a liquidity-sucking force.

videocam
5
US president-elect Donald Trump at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, on January 7. Photo: AP
US-China relations

Opinion | 21st-century geopolitics is expanding beyond US, China to a four-party game

As the global strategic framework moves on from the uneasy period of US hegemony and China’s rise, a critical quadrilateral is forming.

videocam
Illustration: Stephen Case
Asean

Opinion | In a Trump 2.0 trade war against China, Vietnam stands to benefit again

With its growing hi-tech manufacturing and US partnership in trade and security, Vietnam will be a critical beneficiary of the economic fallout.

videocam
United States

Opinion | Trump’s threats won’t hold back Brics push to de-dollarise

US dominance is pervasive but not infallible, and a divided Brics can still find common ground in the pursuit of a multipolar global order.

7
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong, Macau can grow China’s appeal in age of US containment

For China to break out of a US-led containment, both cities have a pivotal role in building global connections and bridging divides.

videocam
President Xi Jinping speaks upon his arrival at Macau’s international airport in Macau on December 18, ahead of celebrations for the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to Chinese sovereignty. Photo: Pool via Reuters
US-China relations

Opinion | 2024 shows US-China tensions no longer the biggest story

Unrestrained regional powers jostling for control, building weapons and taking bolder risks are influencing trajectory of world politics.

videocam
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives to meet US President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Lima, Peru, on November 16. Photo: AFP
United States

Outside In | Does Trump’s tariff-happy team realise China is playing weiqi, not chess?

Much depends on how successfully Trump seduces leaders away from multilateral rule-making and how firmly China resists the siren call of bilateralism.

videocam
US-China relations

Opinion | Trump effect already felt as China scrambles to mend ties with US allies

Beijing’s moves to ease tensions with India, Japan and others appear to be part of strategy to avoid clash with Donald Trump’s White House.

8
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement