Trump’s tariff policy has failed: analysts
Behavior shows he has been ‘shamed’
After China slammed US President Donald Trump’s accusation that China is meddling in the US midterm elections, analysts noted that Trump’s behavior shows he has been shamed as his policy toward China didn’t bring what he wants but has hurt his supporters.
If Trump discovers he is losing support due to China’s trade retaliation, which has hurt the interests of his supporters, then he should blame himself and people who convinced him to impose additional tariffs against China, because it was his administration that started the frictions and led to China’s retaliation, Chinese experts said on Thursday.
“We do not and will not interfere in any country’s domestic affairs. We refuse to accept any unwarranted accusations against China,” Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the UN Security Council at once after Trump made his accusation.
Trump accused China during his remarks at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, saying, “Regrettably, we found that China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 elections in November against my administra-
tion,” CNN reported.
Trump offered scant details or evidence, which came during a session meant to focus on nonproliferation issues. He suggested the meddling attempts came as retribution for the budding trade war he has waged with Beijing, CNN’s report said.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded to Trump’s remarks on Thursday. “China has always stood by the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, and this is a Chinese diplomatic tradition, and the international community knows this,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a routine press conference.
“The international community is also clear on which country is most interested in interfering with others’ internal affairs,” Geng noted. He urged the US to stop making groundless accusations and slandering China, and refrain from making wrong statements and actions that damage bilateral ties and the fundamental interests of the two peoples.
‘Not what he wants’
“They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade,” Trump said at the UN Security Council. “We are winning on trade. We are winning at every level. We don’t want them to meddle or interfere in our upcoming elections.”
However, Chinese analysts disagree with Trump’s rhetoric.
“This shows that Trump has been ashamed into anger due to his unsuccessful policy on China,” said Ni Feng, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of American Studies.
“After a series of tariffs and provocations on the Taiwan question, and sanctions on the Chinese military department and personnel, China has continued to retaliate without any compromise and even refuses to negotiate with the US under the current circumstances. So this situation is not what he wants, which is why he is so angry and tries to make new accusations,” Ni noted.
The US midterm elections are approaching, and the Republicans are facing a serious challenge and might lose the House after the elections. So Trump is trying to “pass the buck,” said Diao Daming, an American studies expert and associate professor at Renmin University of China.
“Blaming China is a good option for him, and some radical Trump supporters will believe him regardless of the truth,” Diao noted.
Due to the interdependency between China and the US, China’s retaliation will definitely hurt US people’s interests, including those of Trump supporters. But don’t forget it was Trump who irrationally began the trade frictions with China, and China is forced to retaliate, Diao said.
“If the US people want to blame someone, they should blame their president. If Trump wants to blame someone for losing support or even the elections, he should blame himself and his advisers who urged him to start the trade row, rather than pass the buck to China,” he noted.