A fierce blame game has erupted alongside the trade dispute, with Beijing publicly pointing the finger at Washington for the dangerous rise in tensions. China’s commerce ministry has made it clear that it holds the Trump administration solely responsible for the current crisis, accusing it of using “wilful threats” to deliberately escalate the situation.
In its official statement, the ministry squarely placed the blame on the U.S. for the breakdown. “Wilful threats of high tariffs are not the right way to get along with China,” the spokesperson said, framing the U.S. as the aggressor and China as the party reacting to provocation. This narrative is crucial for China’s domestic and international positioning.
By blaming Washington, Beijing is attempting to seize the moral high ground. It is portraying itself as a defender of the established global trade order against an unpredictable and disruptive American administration. This is a message designed to resonate with other countries that have also been subjected to U.S. trade pressure.
This blame game is a key part of the broader conflict. The battle for narrative control is almost as important as the economic battle itself. The side that is seen as the unreasonable escalator may lose support from the international community and face greater pressure to compromise.
The U.S., of course, has its own version of the blame game, pointing to China’s “very hostile” rare-earth policy as the trigger. This has left the world with two competing narratives, with each superpower blaming the other for pushing the global economy to the brink.