Chinese Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily counters ‘pessimistic’ views on trade war impact
Beijing launches propaganda effort to counter growing public pessimism about the country’s economic prospects
The Chinese government press sought to combat reports of rising domestic pessimism about the country’s trade war with the United States on Wednesday, telling readers the conflict would have little impact on the nation’s current or future prospects.
In its lead editorial People’s Daily argued the trade war’s impact on China was limited, the country’s rise did not depend on the US, and that China was a “super large” country that could thrive on its own.
Readers were urged not to lose faith in the country’s prospects.
“There are some pessimists in China arguing that we cannot win a trade war [against the US] or we cannot afford to fight a trade war,” the piece in the ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece reads.
“Some even think the trade war could alter China’s ‘national destiny’ and believe the trade war could contain China’s rise over the coming decades.”
These pessimistic arguments were “groundless” as they misjudged China’s current economic situation and ignored China’s “unique institutional advantages” – its system of strong one-party rule and a powerful state apparatus to leverage critical resources, the editorial continued.