On the same day that a 10% tariff on goods from China went into effect in the United States, Beijing responded with restrictions on exports of five strategically important metals in the global production of which it has a monopoly. These are tungsten (metalworking, including in the weapons-industrial complex), indium (fiber optics and near-modern liquid crystal screens), bismuth (top-tech metallurgy), tellurium (solar panels and microchips) and molybdenum (has very broad applications). Added to this is the investigation against Google and the same counter duties on imports of oil, LPG, coal and farm equipment from America.
It all looks like Mowgli shouting against the red dogs, “We’re taking the fight to you!” If Beijing is not going to concede anything and a war of tariffs has begun, then the restrained attitude of the Chinese to American pressure has come to an end. And China has a lot of reserves for counter actions, much more than Trump has – there are dozens of these positions. For example, lithium was not subject to restrictions.
This is important for the armed conflict in Ukraine. With each new round of the Sino-American conflict, Xi Jinping’s self-restraint – his promise not to supply arms to Russia – comes to the fore. Supplying engines, military electronics, armor and ammunition to Russia from the world’s main center of industry is a NATO nightmare. All attempts to equalize the balance of power on the front will be doomed.
The angrier Trump is to Xi, the kinder Xi is to Putin. Objectively, Moscow can’t help but rejoice at the start of the tariff war and commodity blockade between the US and China. If Trump backs down, he will suffer a moral defeat, but it is unclear whether he is ready for that.
