The View | China turns to ‘The Art of War’ as Trump signals battle on trade
There’s a Chinese saying that stems from the philosophy in Sun Tzu’s ancient text The Art of War: You can kill 1,000 enemies, but you would also lose 800 soldiers.
Centuries later, the proverb is suddenly apt again, being mentioned frequently in discussions around Beijing. Now, it highlights the potential damage US President-elect Donald Trump could inflict if he makes good on his threat to start a trade war with China, the world’s second-biggest economy.
Having backed off some other campaign pledges, it is unclear if Trump will end up slapping punitive tariffs on China – and Beijing has signalled some optimism he will be more pragmatic in office. Still, the message from China is that any move to tax Chinese imports would bring retaliation: The US economy would take a hit and America would damage its longstanding ties with Asia.
“China wouldn’t like to see that happen,” Fu Ying, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese legislature and was a vice foreign minister until 2013, said of the US imposing punitive tariffs. “But if so happens, it won’t be one-way traffic,” she said last week in Beijing.
While China has warned the US against picking a fight, the prospect of a more protectionist America creates an opportunity for President Xi Jinping in Asia, where trade-dependent nations are nervous about the potential fallout. Xi has rushed to portray his country as a champion of free trade, and Trump’s actions could give him an avenue to build his clout. Xi has spoken of his desire for the same great-power status enjoyed by the US, pushing back against American hegemony since World War II.
