Trade War: CCP Issues White Paper — Commentator Says “Not a Word Can Be Trusted”

On April 9, 2025, the United States began imposing a 125% tariff on Chinese goods. That very afternoon, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) released a white paper titled “China’s Position on Certain Issues Regarding China-U.S. Economic and Trade Relations,” and from April 10 onward, it began imposing an 84% tariff on U.S. goods. (Video screenshot)

[People News] On April 9, the United States raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%. In response, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) released a white paper that very afternoon titled “China’s Position on Certain Issues Regarding China-U.S. Economic and Trade Relations.” While adopting a seemingly conciliatory tone, claiming that China and the U.S. can resolve their trade differences through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, the CCP simultaneously shifted the blame for “unilateralism and bullying,” as well as for “insisting on launching a tariff and trade war,” squarely onto the Trump administration — and declared that it is prepared to fight to the end.

This 20,000-character white paper is divided into six sections. On the surface, it adopts a conciliatory tone, claiming that China and the U.S. can resolve their trade disputes through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, it attempts to shift the blame onto the Trump administration, accusing it of “unilateralism and bullying” and of “insisting on initiating tariff and trade wars,” while asserting China is ready to accompany the U.S. to the end.

The white paper states that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States 46 years ago, bilateral economic and trade relations have continued to grow. Trade volume between the two countries rose from less than $2.5 billion in 1979 to nearly $688.3 billion in 2024.

The white paper criticizes the United States for a recent rise in unilateralism and protectionism, claiming it has severely disrupted normal China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation.

The CCP asserts in the white paper that China and the U.S. are two major powers at different stages of development and with different economic systems. Therefore, disagreements and frictions in economic cooperation are to be expected. It calls for mutual respect for each other’s core interests and major concerns, and proposes that both sides find proper solutions through dialogue and consultation.

The white paper emphasizes that there are no winners in a trade war and that protectionism leads nowhere. It argues that the success of both China and the U.S. presents opportunities rather than threats to each other. It expresses hope that the U.S. will move forward together with China, following the direction set by the two countries' leaders, and—based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation—resolve respective concerns through equal dialogue and negotiation, jointly promoting the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations.

Current affairs commentator Su Xiaohe pointed out that the CCP’s primary purpose in publishing this white paper is to influence its domestic audience. The CCP is deliberately lowering its posture to signal to the Chinese people that it is about to concede. But as someone who fled from China, he warns: “You can’t believe a single word the CCP says. If you do, you’ll be tricked into helping it count its money. What the CCP says is worse than a fart. When disaster is looming, it starts soft-talking, then turns around and slaps itself in the face, and deceives you again.”

He added that Western nations have for over a century underestimated just how bottomless the CCP’s moral decay is.

He said, “People act out of self-interest. Westerners believe that to increase their own benefit, they must do good for others. But the CCP, for its own benefit, will stop at nothing—it must make others worse off than itself. The CCP doesn’t do business to satisfy or please customers. It does business to kill them.”

Su expressed his personal hope: “I hope the Americans, under Trump’s leadership, can smack the CCP dead. Stop engaging with the CCP. The simplest method is to seal it off and let them fight among themselves. If this time the CCP tricks everyone again and Trump can’t take it down within four years, and the CCP starts stirring up trouble again, then the U.S. will never see another strongman like Trump again.” He urged Trump and Peter Navarro not to back down midway: “With the CCP, the only way is to crush it. Otherwise, if you talk about treaties, cooperation, interests, or negotiations with the CCP, you’re doomed.”

Over 70 years ago, Jiang Zhongzheng (Chiang Kai-shek) and Jiang Jingguo (Chiang Ching-kuo), the former leaders of the Republic of China who retreated to Taiwan after being defeated in the war due to their attempts to negotiate with the Chinese Communist Party, frequently discussed the painful lessons they learned from being deceived.

In a 1958 interview with a Japanese television station, Jiang Zhongzheng stated, "We are the country that has suffered the most from the Communist Party's cooperation for the longest time in the world." He further remarked, "However, our painful experiences have shown us that the Chinese Communist Party does not care about the interests of its country and people," asserting, "Thus, there is absolutely no possibility of cooperation between our Republic of China and the Communist bandits."

Jiang Jingguo often delivered speeches at the Central Committee of the Kuomintang, emphasizing the need to "recognize the deception of the Communist bandits" and to "uphold the spirit of the anti-Communist stronghold." He clearly indicated that the Communist Party's so-called peace talks are merely another form of warfare, differing only in appearance, with the same ultimate goal: "Negotiating with the Communist bandits is tantamount to seeking one's own destruction." The Communist bandits aim to use "cooperation" to carry out their conspiracy to eliminate their opponents. He reiterated, "We will never negotiate with the Communist bandits."