Flailing against the world, US may risk losing everything

By Yan Yunming Source:Global Times Published: 2019/6/27 20:08:40

The US-launched trade war against China is getting increasingly out of Washington's hands.

The original intention of the US might lie in containing China's further development through decoupling from China. But the trade war will lead to an unintended consequence that US President Donald Trump may not even have thought of: While the US is decoupling from China, the rest of the world may be considering doing the same to the US.

In an interview with Fox Business Network on Wednesday, Trump claimed, "Almost all countries in this world take tremendous advantage of the United States. It's unbelievable." In addition to heaping blame on China, he also slammed Vietnam, Europe and Japan. 

Vietnam is "the single worst abuser of everybody." Europe "treats us worse than China." Japan is ungrateful because "if Japan is attacked… we will fight at all costs, right? But if we're attacked… they can watch on a Sony television, the attack."

Although the US under Trump has pursued its "America First" policy, its arrogance and bias are now going too far, astonishing and unsettling the entire world. To seek its own profits, the country disregards every other nation, including its allies. Wantonly criticizing and cracking down on others is nothing new for the US. Washington may truly see itself as a global overlord.

Even if certain countries are still on the same side with the US for interests or other reasons, no one can guarantee their future relations with the self-proclaimed world leader. Who knows whether or not the US will turn against its so-called allies and kick them away? Who can promise that the US won't treat them in the same way it treats China right now? And most importantly, who dares to continue developing trade with such a rogue state?

The US decoupling from China will vastly intensify other countries' concerns over Washington's hegemonism and protectionism. They will realize that supporting and relying on the US will eventually lead to losses of their own. Letting the US dominate global trade and economic order will only throw the world into chaos.

In fact, Europe and Japan are already distancing themselves from the US. In January, the UK, Germany and France set up a payment channel, the Instrument in Support Of Trade Exchanges, with Iran to circumvent US sanctions, an obvious challenge to Washington.

Japan has numerous contradictions with the US, especially in terms of automobile tariffs and agricultural products. On June 17, two Japanese enterprises, Sony and Nintendo, together with Microsoft, issued a joint statement against the US-proposed tariffs on gaming consoles, saying the tariffs would cause "disproportionate harm" to the industry.

Before the trade war, global industrial divisions had raised the development level of newly industrialized countries, and improved living standards in developed economies by lowering prices. But the US has broken the chain for its own benefit and is trying to further disintegrate the world.

The trade war marks the beginning of the US closing its door and resting complacently on its laurels. It will also be the start of the thorough collapse of US global supremacy. 



Posted in: OBSERVER

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