The US Trade Representative's Office on Monday kicked off seven days of public hearings about the plan to levy tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. The timeline shows that Washington will trigger the new tariff plan on July 2 at the soonest. The US is obviously boosting pressure on China.
China is already well prepared for an all-out trade war launched by the US. The trade war is highly likely to be protracted. Whether an agreement can be reached or not, US pressure on China will last a long time. It is the general consensus in Chinese society that a trade deal will hardly alter the situation.
Most Chinese believe that the trade war extends beyond trade itself, but is part of the US containment of China's comprehensive strategy for rejuvenation.
Chinese society has been mobilized to stand up to the great game determining the destiny of the Chinese nation in the 21st century. Chinese people are mentally prepared and ready to withstand more potential storms in the future.
Chinese people hope to live a stable life and see good China-US relations. But the US political elites' arrogance and their extreme practices toward Chinese companies such as Huawei have made people realize that the US lacks good will.
The US seeks to overwhelm China's will, force China to accept unequal conditions, deprive China of the right to further development, and maintain its hegemony by stopping others.
The Chinese people will never agree to abandon the right to further development. The greatest thrust of China's development lies in the strong desire for a better life among over a billion people. The trade war risks Chinese people's future welfare. Chinese people will firmly support the Chinese government in not yielding to Washington, no matter the temporary costs they must pay.
The per capita GDP in China is only one-sixth of that of the US. Continuing to develop China's economy and increase its per capita GDP is the basic right of the Chinese nation.
There was a time when China lagged behind the world, but that does not mean that China is supposed to be poor forever. This is what we are entitled to change. That is what human rights genuinely mean.
If the trade war goes on, it will exert an overwhelming impact on the world industrial chain. The US cannot remain unaffected. Its supply and marketing network, which plays a significant role in American people's living standards, will be hit hard.
Listing Chinese products for $300 billion more in tariff hikes will lead to a sharp price increase in US consumer goods. A poll conducted by pro-Trump news broadcaster Fox News showed that more Americans think that the trade war is affecting their lives rather than helping the US economy.
The US government drew the conclusion at a whim that a trade war would help revitalize US manufacturing. Yet over 600 US companies wrote a letter to Trump on June 13, articulating their opposition to the trade war.
The trade war is a special battle against China's human rights. It is a declaration of US hegemony. Washington is intensifying its attacks, but the Chinese people are pursuing an increasingly prosperous life. They hope their children can live a better life than themselves.
Such a strong desire will make us despise our opponent's arrogant offense. The Chinese people know what they are fighting for.