Zhou Nongjian: The conflict between the Sino -US trade war and the civilization of the

Current affairs perspective

The Sino -US trade war has intensified.Although the Sino -US trade war reflects the conflict between China and the United States, from a deeper background, this actually reflects the conflict between the East and the West.

The expansion of Western civilization has a history of hundreds of years.For a long time, the concept of western civilization, industrial products, science and technology, and freedom of democracy is invincible.For countries and nations in the world, the so -called modernization process is actually a process of westernization, and a process of replacing the local civilization with Western civilization.

In this civilized conflict, we can see the phenomenon of expansion, resistance, integration and transformation of cultural communication.From the perspective of geographical dimensions, in a more evolved and dominant civilization expansion, the edge of the ancient civilization sector will be first eaten and become part of the superior civilization;The kernel sector of ancient civilization is still trying to resist the attack of heterogeneous civilization in order to save itself.

Taking the East Asian civilization sector as an example, the expansion of Western civilization, which lasted more than 100 years in this geographical area, has led to the westernization of its margins such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries and regions, and has been included in the camp of Western civilization;The inland hinterland with the depth of this civilized sector has been retreating, trying to keep the foot.

From the perspective of cultural dimensions, there is also the phenomenon of edge.At that time, the maintainers of the old civilization proposed that the middle school was used, and Western learning was used, which was trying to achieve the purpose of preserving the kernel with the retreat of the surface.

So, as we saw in the inland areas of the East Asian sector today, from science and technology, industrial production, transportation, education systems, clothing fashion, economic management, medical system, military, etc.The scope of the scope is not the use of Western standards and the conceptual system based on the West; and the scope of the body and core still retains that original model, or the modern version of the original model, such as ancient times, such as ancient timesThe political model has become a characteristic system today through the transformation of the Soviet authority and political system.

For a long time, from the perspective of the Western world, Western civilization has two major magic weapons, that is, economic free trade and political freedom, equality, and democracy.Through free trade, the economic globalization dominated by the interests of Western countries; through the spread of freedom, equality, and democratic concepts, the political system of contemporary Western in the West is promoted to every country and region of the world.

However, today's two major magic weapons seem to be unpredictable.Since the Second World War, with the independence of the original colonies or semi -colonial countries and regions, with the spread of science, technology, education, industrial production, and economic management in the West, these countries and regions have always been expected to process and introduce foreign capital.The ethnic industry is developing, and its economy has gradually grown.They use a free trade system to produce products in large quantities and return to Western countries.

On the other hand, due to the existence of high wages, high welfare and high taxes, Western countries have led to domestic capital use of a free trade system to flow to developing countries with low wages, low benefits and tax reductions.This leads to the rise of economic competitors on the one hand, and on the other hand, the blood loss of its own economy.With the eastward movement of wealth, the proportion of Western worlds in global wealth is increasingly decreasing.

With the weakening of economic power, the promotion of political concepts seems to have encountered challenges. One of the most frustrated by many Westerners is the success of the Chinese model: China seems to suddenly become the world's second economic power.

The so -called Chinese model is a combination of capitalist economic system and authoritarian political system in a sense.In the conflict of Chinese and Western civilizations for more than 100 years, the ancient civilization, which was defeated, seemed to have finally guarded the footsteps.The middle school of the system maintenanceer is decent, and Western studies have finally been realized in order to use their dreams, and seem to have succeeded.

Feng Shui is reversing, and the offense of that year has now become a defendant.While western countries lost blood, they were attacked by the dumping of foreign products, and the trade deficit was increasing.Although Western countries still have advantages in total economic and core technologies, from the perspective of strength and growth, they must be anxious.

Judging from this big background, the appearance of US President Trump, his election, his personality, performance, behavior style, and trade policy, is the manifestation of this anxiety.

As a businessman, Trump feels the unprecedented challenges and disadvantages of the United States under the system of globalized free trade today, so he tries to reverse to protect the interests of the United States.

Although Trump not only has a trade war in China, but also wields trade in the European Union, Canada and other countries, the trade friction between the United States and other Western countries is different from the trade disputes between the United States and China.question.This is just like when the western civilization was expanded at that time, there were conflicts and even war between countries inside.In today's defense, it is inevitable that there are contradictions in each country.

Not long ago, European media said that Europe should avoid intensify trade disputes with the United States, but seek cooperation with the United States to deal with China.EU trade officials said on August 30 that the EU is preparing to implement zero tariffs on industrial products imported by the United States.

Although Trump can still have great trouble to the Chinese economy in a certain period of time with the comprehensive advantages of economic and technology that the United States still has today.Whether Pu's efforts can change the trend of wealth eastward under economic globalization, prevent the economic expansion of emerging economies such as China, and compete and eat the original economic cakes of the Western world to prevent their own capital outflow. This is a problem.

Even though Trump can eliminate the trade deficit between China and the United States through high tariff barriers, this is just to promote some manufacturers from China to Southeast Asia and other places, or drive Chinese products through low tariff channels between the United States and third countries, and re -exalculation around the exit.OK.For the United States, there is no difference in the end.

If Trump initiated a limited role in the trade war and cannot prevent the rise of Asian countries such as China and Vietnam, if the combination of capitalist economic systems and authoritarian political systems is proved to be economically successful, its demonstration is proven to be economically successful.The role is bound to divert and weaken the sense of calling for the Western democratic system, leading to the tide of authoritarianism.This means that Western civilization, which once endlessly, will face the full blood resurrection after the transformation of the ancient civilization, and its dual challenges in economy and politics.

The author is Chinese aesthetic scholar

Although Trump not only has a trade war in China, but also wields trade in the European Union, Canada and other countries, the trade friction between the United States and other Western countries is different from the trade disputes between the United States and China.question.This is just like when the western civilization was expanded at that time, there were conflicts and even war between countries inside.