Hopes for US-China cooperation rest on true understanding

April 24, 2025 arishardiansah99

Readers discuss the lack of understanding of Chinese aspirations in the West, how Trump’s trade war could backfire, and Hong Kong’s US dollar peg

The
article
by Chenfei Zhu struck a very strong chord with me (“I’m a Cannes-going Chinese showbiz producer. It’s fun – except when it isn’t”, April 19).

For 12 years from 1995, my Chinese wife and I were consultants to the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in Britain. A great part of our remit was to promote the board’s exams in mainland China and in the course of this, we attended many meetings between the CEO from Britain and various people in China, ranging from government officials to businessmen and musicians.

My wife acted as interpreter for all the sessions. As a Westerner who has lived in Hong Kong since 1970, I was prepared for what transpired.

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The Westerner approached the discussion like the proverbial bull in a china shop, and would have smashed all the contents at one go, had my wife not also been fully prepared for the basic lack of understanding between the two sides. She had to begin each interpretation by painting the background, and then putting what was said in terms which the other side could comprehend. This was true both ways, and with my limited grasp of Cantonese, I was able to see how clever she was in angling discussions so that relations were not immediately broken off.

The pity of it is that there are so few Westerners who have any real understanding of how Chinese people think and feel, or what their aspirations really are. In the world of diplomacy today, there seems little hope of any constructive cooperation between the two sides.

Part of the answer, I think, lies in both sides getting hold of really good advisers, and actually listening to what they have to say. In the case of US President Donald Trump, this is clearly an impossibility, but the Chinese side might perhaps do more in this way, and so help to avoid yet more stupidity in world affairs.

David Gwilt, Sai Kung

Against China, US is waging a trade war it can’t win

US President Donald Trump’s renewed push for tariffs on China in his second term signals a return to his combative trade strategy – but this time, the United States may be fighting a losing battle. The geopolitical and economic landscape has dramatically shifted, and China is better prepared than ever.

Since the 2018 trade war, China has diversified its export markets through efforts like the Belt and Road Initiative, reducing reliance on the US. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is now China’s top trading partner, followed by the European Union.
Beijing’s response
to Trump’s threats has been calm and strategic. Despite Trump’s apparent eagerness to
negotiate
, Chinese officials have remained firm, demanding
mutual respect
before talks resume.

Cultural differences also fuel China’s resilience. Rooted in collectivism, the Chinese public perceives the trade war as a threat to
national pride
and identity. Years of rising tensions – Covid-19 accusations, economic pressure and diplomatic slights – have galvanised public support for President Xi Jinping’s tough stance, while Trump faces opposition at home.

Crucially, the US stands increasingly isolated. Unlike in 2018, Trump’s latest tariffs lack the backing of its allies. He’s
alienated Canada
by mocking its leaders and imposing new tariffs, prompting Prime Minister Mark Carney to declare the US “no longer a reliable partner”. EU leaders have condemned the US measures, with
retaliatory tariffs
already in motion.

Meanwhile, China has seized the diplomatic moment. It is deepening economic ties with the
European Union
– engaging in high-level talks on electric vehicles and
inviting
European leaders to Beijing. China is also revitalising relations in Asia, engaging in
trilateral meetings
with Japan and South Korea, and boosting ties with Southeast Asian nations like
Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia
. Even Greenland, still bitter over Trump’s comments, is turning towards China for trade.

Domestically, Trump lacks business and public support. A YouGov poll this month shows 52 per cent of Americans opposing his tariffs, while a survey of CEOs finds 81 per cent of them expecting higher costs. Small businesses are suffering, and a growing coalition is legally challenging the tariffs. Leading economists warn of a looming recession, with major firms like BlackRock sounding the alarm.

Without reversing course, Trump’s trade war risks economic instability, diplomatic isolation and political backlash. As Jeremy Siegel, emeritus professor of finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, put it, these tariffs may be “the biggest policy mistake in 95 years”.

Quang Phan Thanh, Bangkok, Thailand

Time to reconsider Hong Kong’s US dollar peg?

I refer to
the article
, “Trump’s Fed feud sparks Wall Street sell-off, dollar dips, gold hits record high” (April 21).

Maybe it’s safer to own gold than US dollars if US President Donald Trump fires the Federal Reserve chief. Either way, the price of gold will go up. Whether interest rates come down or there is a war between the president and the Fed chief, gold will be the only winner.

Is it time the Hong Kong government seriously reconsidered the Hong Kong dollar’s long-term peg with the US dollar and change it to a basket of currencies?

Rishi Teckchandani, Mid-Levels

Against China, US is waging a trade war it can’t win

Time to reconsider Hong Kong’s US dollar peg?

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