China is stepping up its diplomatic messaging with a clear warning to countries around the world: think twice before making trade deals with the United States. The warning, delivered through a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused the U.S. of using trade as a geopolitical weapon rather than a tool for mutual development. According to Chinese officials, many American trade proposals are loaded with political strings and hidden conditions meant to undermine the independence of other nations.
The statement didn’t name specific countries, but it comes at a time when the U.S. is actively pursuing new trade alignments, especially in Asia and Africa. Washington has been working to tighten economic ties with countries that are part of or near China’s sphere of influence, a move Beijing clearly sees as a threat to its strategic goals. “Countries should be wary of trade traps disguised as partnerships,” the Chinese spokesperson said. “The U.S. uses trade as leverage to impose its values and interfere in domestic affairs.”
The warning also reflects Beijing’s effort to promote its own global initiatives, particularly the Belt and Road Initiative, as safer and more equal alternatives to Western-led agreements. China’s message is blunt: align too closely with the U.S., and you may find your economy compromised and your sovereignty undermined. As global power struggles intensify, trade has become just as much a battlefield as diplomacy or military might.
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