China seeking to build "united front" against U.S. Tariff war
Well-connected politics blog updates on China's outreach efforts, clearifies Beijing's position
On Sunday, April 13th, a politics blog known to be well-connected to policy-makers in Beijing, YuYuanTanTian, released an update on China’s recent trade talks with other countries. In the report titled China is teaming up with an ever‑growing roster of countries to counter Washington’s arbitrary tariff hikes, the blog highlights the consensus between China and other international stakeholders in boosting trade to offset the negative impact of the tariff war initiated by the Trump administration.
This post echoes what Brooking’s Ryan Hass observed during a recent China visit as China’s three solutions to fending Washington’s tariff offensive.
Below is a complete translation of the blog.
Over the past few days, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has been on a whirlwind of calls:
Apr 8: Video call (Eng link) with Maroš Šefčovič, EU Commissioner for Trade & Economic Security
Apr 9: Video call (Eng link) with Tengku Zafrul, Trade & Industry Minister of Malaysia (current ASEAN chair)
Apr 10: Video call (Chn link) with Parks Tau, Trade & Industry Minister of South Africa (current G20 chair)
Apr 10: Video call (Chn link) with Majid Al‑Kasabi, Saudi Minister of Commerce
Apr 11: Video call (Chn link) with Geraldo Alckmin, Brazil’s Vice‑President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade & Services (current BRICS chair)
Apr 11: Video call (Eng link) with WTO Director‑General Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala
All these conversations had one big topic in common: how to handle Washington’s so‑called “reciprocal” tariffs. Beijing plans to keep talking with more partners and ramp up coordination against the new U.S. duties.
Before the April 8 video conference, Šefčovič visited China in late March. The readout (Chn link) of his visit mentioned that
China and EU exchanged views in a candid, in-depth and pragmatic manner.
Compared with the visit readout, the April 8 video call readout struck a more positive tone and was more substantial. During the video conference, China and the EU primarily reached 4 consensus.
Stand together against U.S. tariff hikes and defend the WTO‑centered multilateral trading system alongside other WTO members.
Start consultation on issues concerning market access at an early date. Market access has always been the heart of the China‑EU trade and investment relationship. In the past, this issue was discussed under the context of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment. In prior negotiations, both China and the EU have made pledges for high-level market access for the manufacturing, financial services, medical and healthcare services, and biomedicine sectors. In the video conference, both sides once again touched on the issue of market access.
Immediately start negotiations on electric vehicle pricing commitments. This blog has learned that teams on both sides are already in touch.
Resume the China-EU trade remedy dialogue mechanism. This blog has learned that the existing mechanism had been dormant for years due to several reasons. Restarting the mechanism shows that both sides are taking a pragmatic and cooperative approach to solving the problems in the trade relationship. This proves the responsibility and resolve of the two major economies in preserving the global trade order.
On the call with Malaysia’s Tengku Zafrul, Zafrul noted that Washington’s tariffs run counter to the principles of free and fair trade as set out by the World Trade Organization. Zafrul said his country will engage in consultations with other ASEAN members to jointly respond to the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" and other moves proposed by the United States.
Wang’s calls with relevant parties also explored how to make better use of multilateral arenas such as BRICS and the G20. During Wang’s call with WTO Director‑General Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala, she emphasized that WTO members must stand shoulder to shoulder to protect an open, rules‑based trading system and resolve differences through dialogue and cooperation within the WTO framework.
Confronted with Washington’s unilateral pressure tactics, an ever‑growing number of countries are choosing openness, cooperation, and multilateralism as the antidote to unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying.
This blog reads two signals from these calls.
The U.S. tariff blitz is facing pushback—and China is uniting with the force for justice and fairness in global trade.
On April 10 , Washington announced it would jack up its tariff against Chinese goods to 125% from 84 %, in an unmistakable move against China. In the meantime, China is reaching out to forces that are willing to protect the international trade system.
China is the EU’s biggest import source; the EU is China’s No. 2 trading partner. Brussels now says it wants broader two‑way market access, investment, and industrial cooperation.
This blog went over investment-related news from the EU in the recent month and discovered that the EU shows strong interest in AI, infrastructure, solar, and EV investment—areas where Chinese investment in the EU is welcomed. There is broad space for cooperation in these fields by China and the EU. Take EV as an example. Last year, there were differences between the two sides on EVs, but that didn’t prevent the two sides from cooperating. More data shows that the Chinese industrial chain is irreplaceable for the EU. According to statistics, Europe’s fastest‑growing firm in recent years is a Polish solar company whose meteoric rise (830.8 percent between 2020‑2023) relies heavily on Chinese‑made panels and gear.
With ASEAN, it and China have been each other’s No. 1 trading partner for five straight years. In 2024, bilateral trade hit 982.1 billion USD, 16 % of China’s global total.
As the U.S. unilaterally launched the trade war, China’s job is to forge ties with any player willing to defend an open system, that mean not just with ASEAN or not just the EU.
More countries now see through Washington’s tariff blackmail.
China was the first to hit back against the “reciprocal” tariffs, standing up for global fairness.
Some worry that if others cut separate deals with the U.S., China could be left isolated. This blog wants to say Beijing’s stance is clear: China has no opinion one way or the other if other countries decide to retaliate against the U.S. or enter negotiations, as it is a sovereign decision. But Beijing won’t tolerate actors trading away China’s interests for favors in Washington.
Trade expert Cui Fan (of UIBE) notes that capitulating to U.S. pressure only invites more demands. Real pushback requires collective action.
On April 12, U.S. media, including CNBC, reported that Trump exempts phones, computers, and chips from new tariffs. This shows that Washington knows exactly how “reciprical tariffs” would hurt itself.
During Šefčovič’s earlier visit to Beijing, this blog observed that the Chinese side gave him a T‑shirt as a gift. The shirt is made from fibers spun out of captured CO₂—supplied by a Chinese firm that built the world’s first negative‑carbon industrial chain. This same company is also in the solar panel business. One of its subsidiaries is China’s largest EVA solar panel supplier, taking up over 30% of domestic output. In 2018, the company was the victim of U.S. solar tariffs and faced difficulties. However, the company doubled down on R&D, cracked foreign monopolies, and blunted the trade‑war shock.
That shirt is a small symbol of a larger reality: Pressure may be fierce, but Chinese industry keeps innovating—standing tall rather than bowing. Increasingly, other nations are ready to take a stand, too.