Trump is Back: What Do the Chinese Say?
The hawks strike again! 🦅
Word of the week: 鹰派 (yīng pài)
Meaning: “war hawks”. Political term used to describe individuals who advocate for the use of assertive diplomatic measures or active military expansion.
特朗普新政府中的对华极端鹰派会在经济上推动与中国脱钩。The extreme China hawks in Trump’s new administration will push for economic decoupling from China.
Last week, we witnessed Trump being re-elected as President of the United States. During his first term from 2017 to 2021, tensions between the U.S. and China increased significantly. What do Chinese say about his reelection?
Photo: fr.de
2024年11月5日，奉行“美国优先”的共和党总统候选人唐纳德·特朗普与继承约瑟夫·拜登衣钵的民主党总统候选人卡玛拉·哈里斯围绕总统之位展开最终对决了。
奉行 (fèngxíng) – to pursue, follow (a policy or principle)
优先 (yōuxiān) – priority, to prioritize
共和党 (gònghé dǎng) – Republican Party
候选人 (hòuxuǎn rén) – candidate
唐纳德·特朗普 (táng nà dé tè lǎng pǔ) – Donald Trump
继承 (jìchéng) – to inherit, to succeed
衣钵 (yībō) – legacy, mantle (metaphorical use, meaning to take over someone’s role or duties)
民主党 (mínzhǔ dǎng) – Democratic Party
卡玛拉·哈里斯 (kǎ mǎ lā hā lǐ sī) – Kamala Harris
围绕 (wéirào) – to revolve around, to center on
展开 (zhǎnkāi) – to unfold, to initiate
对决 (duìjué) – showdown, confrontation
On November 5, 2024, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who advocates for 'America First,' faced off in a final showdown for the presidency against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, the successor to Joseph Biden.
如何影响中美关系？
特朗普上一次出任美国总统时，美国政府在2017年发布的《国家安全战略报告》中首次明确将中国定位为“战略竞争对手”。美国国防部还在《国防战略》报告中表明，国家间的战略竞争是美国国家安全的首要关切。为此，特朗普政府推出了“印太战略”，联合印度、日本等亚太国家遏制中国。
国家安全战略报告 (guójiā ānquán zhànlüè bàogào) – National Security Strategy Report
战略竞争对手 (zhànlüè jìngzhēng duìshǒu) – strategic competitor
国防部 (guófáng bù) – Department of Defense
国防战略 (guófáng zhànlüè) – National Defense Strategy
首要关切 (shǒuyào guānqiè) – primary concern
印太战略 (yìn tài zhànlüè) – Indo-Pacific Strategy
遏制 (èzhì) – to contain, to curb
How might this impact U.S.-China relations?
The last time Donald Trump served as U.S. president, the U.S. government’s 2017 National Security Strategy report explicitly defined China as a 'strategic competitor' for the first time. The U.S. Department of Defense also emphasized in its National Defense Strategy report that interstate strategic competition was the primary concern for U.S. national security. To this end, the Trump administration launched the 'Indo-Pacific Strategy,' aiming to contain China by partnering with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as India and Japan."
今年的美国总统大选期间，特朗普再次举起关税“大棒”，宣布一旦重返白宫将对美国进口的所有商品征收10%到20%的关税，对中国商品征收60%或者更高关税。
总统大选 (zǒngtǒng dàxuǎn) – presidential election
举起 (jǔ qǐ) – to raise, to lift
关税 (guānshuì) – tariff, customs duty
大棒 (dà bàng) – big stick (figurative term, meaning a powerful tool or threat)
重返 (chóng fǎn) – to return, to come back
白宫 (bái gōng) – The White House (referring to the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States)
征收 (zhēngshōu) – to levy, to impose (a tax or duty)
During this year's U.S. presidential election, Trump once again raised the tariff 'big stick,' announcing that if he returns to the White House, he will impose a 10% to 20% tariff on all U.S. imports and a 60% or higher tariff on Chinese goods.
复旦大学国际问题研究院院长、美国研究中心主任吴心伯表示，如果特朗普再次当选，对进口商品加征关税将“说到做到”。他指出，加征关税对特朗普而言不仅仅是谈判手段，还是其相信的理念，特朗普认为加征关税对美国有利并且是有效的经济政策手段。
复旦大学 (fùdàn dàxué) – Fudan University
国际问题研究院 (guójì wèntí yánjiūyuàn) – Institute of International Studies
院长 (yuàn zhǎng) – dean (of a college or department)
美国研究中心 (měiguó yánjiū zhōngxīn) – Center for American Studies
主任 (zhǔrèn) – director, head
当选 (dāngxuǎn) – to be elected
加征 (jiāzhēng) – to impose (additional) taxes or duties
说到做到 (shuō dào zuò dào) – to make good on a promise, to do what one says
谈判手段 (tánpàn shǒuduàn) – negotiating tactic
理念 (lǐniàn) – philosophy, belief
Wu Xinbo, Dean of the Institute of International Studies and Director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, had said that if Trump was re-elected, he would 'make good on' his promise to impose tariffs on imported goods. Wu noted that for Trump, imposing tariffs is not only a negotiating tactic but also a principle he believes in. Trump views tariffs as beneficial to the U.S. and as an effective economic policy tool.
除了特朗普本人，吴心伯认为，特朗普新政府中的对华极端鹰派不仅会在经济上推动与中国脱钩，还会在安全问题上加剧与中国的对抗，包括中国台湾问题。
对华 (duì huá) – towards China, related to China
极端鹰派 (jíduān yīng pài) – extreme hawks (referring to hardline, aggressive policy proponents)
经济上 (jīngjì shàng) – in economic terms, economically
脱钩 (tuō gōu) – decoupling (separation or disconnection, especially in economic or trade relations)
加剧 (jiājù) – to intensify, to escalate
Besides Trump himself, Wu Xinbo believes that the extreme China hawks in Trump’s new administration will not only push for economic decoupling from China but will also intensify confrontations with China on security issues, including the Taiwan issue.
“这样一来，中美关系在今后4年会出现大幅度波动，紧张升级、对抗加剧，甚至可能会出现重大危机。” 吴心伯进一步表示，特朗普执政后中美合作的空间将大幅压缩，合作议题将缩水，比如共同应对气候变化。特朗普是气候变化怀疑论者，曾带美国退出巴黎气候协定。
大幅 (dàfú) – greatly, substantially, to a large extent
波动 (bōdòng) – fluctuation, fluctuation in value or situation
升级 (shēngjí) – escalation, to upgrade or increase
重大 (zhòngdà) – major, significant
执政 (zhízhèng) – to govern, to hold office
压缩 (yāsuō) – to compress, to shrink
合作议题 (hézuò yìtí) – cooperation topics, issues for cooperation
缩水 (suō shuǐ) – to shrink, to reduce in size or importance
气候变化 (qìhòu biànhuà) – climate change
怀疑论者 (huáiyí lùn zhě) – skeptic (climate change skeptic in this context)
曾带 (céng dài) – has previously led, has once taken
巴黎气候协定 (bālí qìhòu xiédìng) – Paris Climate Agreement
'As a result, U.S.-China relations will experience significant fluctuations over the next four years, with escalating tensions, increased confrontation, and potentially even major crises,' Wu Xinbo further stated. He added that under Trump’s leadership, the space for U.S.-China cooperation would shrink dramatically, with collaborative issues such as climate change being reduced. Trump, a climate change skeptic, had previously led the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.
What do you think the US-China relations will look like for the next 4 years?
Antoine & Dorota
Referenced author: 安晶