Translated "Avante!"article by Luís Carapinha, Member of the International Department

Evidently, imperialism has decided to open up Pandora’s box on the trade war. The steel and aluminium dutiable taxes, announced by Trump, have come into force and represent another drawback on the OMC “multilateralism” and structure, a signal that the 2007/9 economic crisis effects are far from being overcome. By dosing the pressures and directing the focus, the White House applied a temporary exemption which includes, among others, the EU and the NAFTA “partners”, Canada and Mexico, opening up obscure negotiations. At the same time, the North-American president signed an executive order, imposing new tariffs on imports from China ,that ought to ascend to 60 thousand million dollars, more than 15 % of the USA trade annual deficit, with the second world economy. The measures to implement equally pass by new restrictions, regarding the Chinese investment within the USA and on what Washington names as technologic transferences in China’s favour.

If there were any doubts, it is clear who is Trump’s “protectionist” agenda fundamental target.

Amid the establishment, within a disturbed home combat, it is practically consensual about the peremptorily need of confronting the strategic provocation, represented by Beijing, the differences residing on the chosen direction. China and Russia are openly catalogued as “ revisionist powers” and the main challenge [towards the imperialist super-power hegemony] existent in the USA national security doctrine. In the last Foreign Affairs magazine, an article recognizes that the “carrot and stick” policy , used with China, for decades, did not work out (in https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2018-02-13/china-r...). It is a great annoyment…. “The diplomatic and commercial involvement did not bring a political and economic opening”. The “cooptation” failed by China’s “ liberal international order” and the latter strong economic growth was used to” legitimate the Communist Party of China and its economic state ruled model”. “Currently, Washington faces its most dynamic and outstanding modern history competitor”, and more and more regarding the military level, as concluded.

China, the greatest contributor for global growth and promoter of the contradictory world forces rearrangement process, never abdicating of its sovereignty, acts objectively as a decisive element of the des-construction /dismantlement of the world order, centred on the USA. In a moment when the imperialist stagnation framework deepening is visible, along with the decline of the dominant power.

This Washington backstage frenzy and the hostilities spiral destabilise spectrum, of worldwide unpredictable consequences, a “war” the USA cannot win in the economic level. Beijing has introduced symmetrical measures concerning USA 128 articles, answering the applied duty taxes on the two metals. The USA waves for a negotiable via, reaffirming the tensions between the two systems, “state capitalism and market”.

In Beijing, the subjacent perspective is otherwise. As Xi Jinping recalls, during the recent Popular Assembly closure session, only but socialism ought to save China.

And humanity, before the wounded beast harass.