What's really behind the 90-day U.S. tariff pause?

Editor's note: Xu Xinchen is a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

The U.S. just can't help itself. Days after a joint China-U.S. statement in Geneva signaled a possible cooling of trade tensions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during recent interviews that if countries fail to strike trade deals within the 90-day pause, tariff rates will soon be adjusted to a "reciprocal" level.

Let's be clear: This 90-day "pause" is not a goodwill gesture. It's a pressure tactic. And the U.S. is playing a familiar game – talk peace, prepare for escalation. It's a tactic that has defined the post-Liberation Day landscape and the world is waking up to it.

Despite diplomatic pleasantries, the U.S. continues to act unilaterally. On May 13, the U.S. Commerce Department slapped new export restrictions on China's access to AI chips. Most alarmingly, it declared that using Huawei's Ascend chips "anywhere in the world" would violate U.S. export rules.

Yes, anywhere. That's not partnership – that's economic imperialism.

U.S. tech leaders aren't even on the same page with Washington. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that China was not far behind the U.S. in AI. The Asian emerging economy may be "right behind" the U.S. for now, he added. "We are very close. Remember this is a long-term, infinite race."

The real battle is not about superiority – it's about control. And Washington is telling the world: "Choose a side."

But the world is growing tired of Washington's ultimatums. Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken once warned that "America First" could become "America Alone." That moment has arrived. Washington's erratic trade policies haven't just paralyzed its own customs operations – they've forced the world to learn how to live without it.

Nowhere was this clearer than during President Donald Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia. Touted as a major diplomatic win, the trip produced flashy headlines but no real U.S. investment. The kingdom's high-profile forum became a self-promotional circus featuring Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Trump. Instead of deals, there were sales pitches. Instead of partnership, pageantry.

China's response? Restraint, clarity and consistency. Beijing has clarified its position: It does not fear a trade war but knows that no one wins. And it backs that position with facts. China supplies over 40 percent of U.S. imports. Roughly 80 percent of toys sold in the U.S. are made in China. Around 90 percent of imported microwaves come from China. And when it comes to rare earths, China provides 70 percent of the U.S. supply. These are not abstract numbers. They are leveraging.

But the trade relationship is not one-sided. China buys tens of billions of dollars worth of U.S. products, including oilseeds, grains, advanced manufacturing equipment, fuels and oils. This is interdependence, not dominance. It should be a foundation for collaboration. Instead, it's being weaponized.

While the U.S. tries to squeeze China, China is expanding its trade web. Imports are increasingly sourced from Brazil, Argentina and other Belt and Road Initiative partners. U.S. dominance in China's export profile is fading, down to 14.7 percent in 2024.

Washington's tariffs were supposed to crush Chinese exports. Instead, China's total exports rose 8.1 percent year-on-year in April. Exports to the U.S. fell 21 percent, but shipments to Southeast Asia rose by the same amount. China is not just weathering the storm – it's steering around it.

Despite its upper hand, China has not gloated. No talk of "winning" trade wars. No chest-thumping nationalism. Just a steady call for candid dialogue, equal consultation and mutual respect. China understands the stakes. It knows how much both nations – and the global economy – have benefited from openness. And it knows how catastrophic a rupture would be.

Beijing plays the long game. While Washington acts like a cornered monopolist, China is positioning itself as a steady partner for the rest of the world.

So, when Secretary Bessent claims the 90-day tariff pause depends on "good-faith" negotiations, one must ask: Where's the good faith?

Sanctioning cooperation, politicizing technology, turning trade into coercion are not the moves of a responsible stakeholder. They are the behaviors of a declining hegemon struggling to maintain control.

The world is watching. And it's increasingly choosing autonomy over alignment. If the U.S. continues on this path, it won't just lose the trade war – it'll lose the trust of a world already moving on.

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