New York Times: Trump lost to China in the trade war – Mehr News Agency | RCO News Agency

According to RCO News Agency, quoted by Al-Mayadeen, the American newspaper New York Times in an article examined the consequences of the trade war between the United States and China during the presidency of Donald Trump, and pointing to the adverse effects that Washington has suffered as a result of its miscalculation of China’s economic power and its strategy to control rare minerals, announced that Trump lost to China.

The New York Times emphasized: The relationship between the United States and China is considered the most important bilateral relationship in the world today, which Trump has damaged. Trump started a trade war with China, which he lost, and if a formal cease-fire is reached in this battle between the two countries, it will mean that China will dominate America and weaken our influence.

This American media added: Trump made a big miscalculation when he suddenly and completely recklessly announced his tariffs last April. Trump thought China was in a weak position; While Beijing has now become the world’s leading exporter of rare earth minerals, leaving us without alternative sources. We should mention that China controls almost 90% of rare minerals and is the only supplier of 6 rare heavy metals in the world.

The report continued: As expected, two days after Trump announced the tariffs, China announced that it would impose restrictions on exports of some rare earth minerals, and then expanded those restrictions significantly this month. In this way, it quickly became clear that America is under the control of Xi Jinping, the president of China.

The mentioned American media clarified: At the conference held last weekend, we asked international relations experts in a large hall to answer these questions: Who thinks America is close to winning the trade war? Who believes that China will win and who believes that it is still too early to answer this question? The vast majority of those present in this hall said that China is close to winning and is currently leading this trade battle.

The New York Times emphasized: “Today, after Trump made China use rare minerals as a weapon against America, we have no quick way to find alternative resources.” Republican and Democratic presidents over the years should have done more to develop rare earth mines and refineries.

According to the report, Trump started a trade war with China, but quickly realized that he was not prepared for it, and then decided to win China’s attention by reducing tariffs and restrictions on chip exports to China. Washington also allowed TikTok to continue operating in the US despite serious national security concerns. Trump also blocked the visit of Taiwan’s president to the US and reportedly delayed arms sales to Taiwan to curry favor with China.

This American media continued: Chinese President Xi Jinping knows America’s weaknesses very well and has proven that he has the upper hand in bilateral relations, while Trump is a weak person who will collapse under security pressure. Also, since Trump has betrayed and alienated his allies, it is unlikely that they will cooperate with the US in practice.

According to the report, China’s president may suspend restrictions on rare earth minerals for a year, but is unlikely to allow the US to build up stockpiles of the material. Therefore, it will be very difficult for American companies to access the rare minerals needed to build fighter jets and submarines.

The New York Times asserted: China’s president may use, explicitly or implicitly, the threat of restricting exports of rare-earth elements to pressure Trump to reduce support for Taiwan or limit patrols in the South China Sea. If Trump agrees, it would be a major setback for the United States in Asia and a significant gain for Chinese influence.

So, don’t rush to celebrate any victory announcements you may hear from Trump and his aides regarding the historic deal with China, the American media clarified. We Americans are not only the losers in this trade war, but we have also lost a significant part of our global credibility and influence for years to come, in such a way that the alarm bells of America’s decline may be ringing in the world.