Giving in to the US is “not an option for China”, our Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith reports.
While it is “time to take a breath for many countries” after Trump’s 90-day tariffs pause – this is not the case for China.
“It is likely that China will again retaliate,” Smith says.
“I think both sides have put themselves in a place where they cannot be seen to back down. Both crave dominance, and both don’t want to be seen to be losing.
“And there are questions about what that means and looks like.”
In Beijing, officials see Trump’s move as a direct attack.
“There is a genuine belief in the system in China that the US’s ultimate goal is to restrain China, undermine it and restrict its growth,” Smith says.
“So giving in to Trump doesn’t serve any purpose for China. Giving in is not an option.”
When it comes to a deal between the US and China, she says, it is “not impossible” but it will be “complicated”.
