Commercial War: Beijing orders censorship not to upset Trump

I Earlier this week, heaps of new volumes of the Volkszeitung publishing house were presented in Beijing's party bookstores. Under the title '100 hot terms for the new Chinese era', they will explain the main political and economic words in the future state plan and party leader Xi Jinping

By 2050, Xi wants to that the People's Republic ascends to world power. Its programs include the offensive on the Silk Road and Beijing 16 + 1 cooperation with the East and Southeast European states. All national development plans are also listed.

However, the most important keyword in Xi's strategy is missing: "Made in China 2025". Behind the acronym is Beijing's master plan to help China become the world's technology leader in ten strategic industries by 2025. Prime Minister Li Keqiang has made public the policy of catching up and overhauling the industry. State mandated and funded in March 2015.

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By 2025, Chinese companies should dominate these markets which are now at the origin of the growth of many industrialized countries. These include information technology, computer controlled machines, robots, energy efficient vehicles and medical equipment, high tech space, marine and rail equipment

Made in China 2025 "to speak or write in public." Censorship urged all newspapers to stop using the term as an urgent instruction and threatened: "Otherwise it will have consequences for you."

Website China Digital Times leaked internal orders for Chinese media, revealing censorship Newspapers were also banned from publicly attacking Trump in a polemical way

Both measures have the same goal. does not want to provoke the unpredictable US President, who threatens the People's Republic of the trade war.On Friday, Trump wants to impose 25% of Chinese imports of hi-tech punitive of a val $ 34 billion, then an additional $ 16 billion.

Trump threatens $ 400 billion in the second round

It's the beginning. He threatened to impose an additional $ 400 billion in customs fines if China did the same. Beijing has already announced that it will impose reciprocal tariffs on US imports.

Trade conflict has intensified. Trump is not just talking about breaking the $ 375 billion trade deficit with the People's Republic. The program "Made in China 2025" is a special charm for him. He accuses China of obtaining unfair advantages to modernize its industry and move others by subsidies, the purchase of foreign high-tech enterprises, intellectual property theft and technology transfer strength. Robert Lighthizer, Trump's trade representative, said the US, with its tariff penalties, planned restrictions on high-tech trade and Chinese investment control, want to "identify" the strategic industries and technologies that develop China. hopes. "

With their criticism of" Made in China 2025 ", the United States is not alone.The European Union considers the problem to be similar.On the last weekend, the German Ambbadador Michael Clauß , EU ambbadador to Brussels after four years in the fall, said in a farewell interview to the South China Morning Post: "China's 2025 strategy focuses on the development of ten industries which are almost identical to the core of Germany's technological base. Our companies are concerned that China's industrial policy is developing its 'stand-alone' industry champion at its expense.

Beijing rejects American and European criticism

Beijing rejected criticism but suddenly dropped the slogan "Made in China 2025" for public use. Even the Deputy Minister of Commerce, Ren Hongbin, is held there. At a press conference in Beijing, he spoke about the preparations for the fifth round of German-Chinese intergovernmental negotiations.

They will begin in Berlin next Monday under the leadership of Prime Minister Li and Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will be accompanied by 20 ministers and deputy ministers of both cabinets. When WELT Ren asked if "Made in China 2025" will again be one of the focal points of the meeting, he dodged.

Beijing hopes that Berlin will be able to agree on a new roadmap for joint innovation and shaping the future.These included intensive cooperation in the area of ​​smart technologies, digitization, connected driving, artificial intelligence and new energies.

"Made in China 2025", he did not name, although the concept of German digitization "Industry 4.0" was the inspiration. the state Xi Jinping said during his visit to Berlin in 2014 that he hoped that the integration of "industry 4.0" with the "China 2025" Beijing would go beyond of bilateral significance. It could set standards and standards in Europe and around the world. But the United States and Europe do not want to see that.

Shadow on the meeting of the government

The German-Chinese bilateral meeting of 9 July threatens to be overshadowed by the next US confrontation with China. On Wednesday, nervousness was already felt in Beijing. A comment in the "Global Times" newspaper asked, "Is the world on the brink of chaos?" And he said, "It seems like that."

Caixin magazine called on its readers to focus "To adjust." The first US strike, with $ 50 billion of punitive tariffs against China, would have "limited impact" However, this could affect market expectations and supplies, making the investment and stock markets go crazy.