China believes US President DonaldTrump’s tariffshave created an unexpected opportunity. Instead of weakening Beijing, Chinese policymakers see a chance to reshape global trade in ways that protect China’s $19 trillion economy from future US pressure.
According to a Reuters examination, Beijing is using the uncertainty created by Trump’s trade policies to deepen economic ties with major global blocs. These include the European Union, Gulf countries and members of a trans-Pacific trade pact.China is now pushingto close nearly 20 trade deals, many of which have been under discussion for years.
Despite concerns globally about China’s overproduction, limited market access and weak domestic demand, Beijing appears determined to move ahead.
A Reuters review of 100 Chinese-language articles written by state-backed trade scholars since 2017 shows that China’s advisers have been carefully studying US trade strategy. Their goal: understand Washington’s containment tactics and design ways to counter them.
Now, China is putting those ideas into action.
During Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing in January, China reached a deal with Canada that cuts tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. According to Reuters interviews with 10 people, including Chinese officials and trade diplomats, this agreement is seen as the first of several aimed at reducing US leverage.
“Don't interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake,” one Chinese official said, referring to Trump’s disruptive trade agenda.
Reuters’ review of more than 2,000 trade strategy papers endorsed by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Peking University shows that many Chinese policy insiders accept short-term economic pain if it helps secure long-term dominance in global trade. The contents of these papers are being reported for the first time.
Two Western diplomats told the outlet that if China succeeds, it could reverse over a decade of US trade policy and position itself at the center of a new, China-led multilateral system.
“The Chinese have a golden opportunity now,” said Alicia Garcia Herrero, senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank.
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