How ‘Made in China 2025’ Frames Trump's Trade Threats
China's Xi Defuses Trade War Rhetoric
A plan called “Made in China 2025” is generating more attention now than when the Chinese government first announced it in 2015. In short, it’s a blueprint for transforming the country into an advanced manufacturing economy. So, why the sudden interest? Look no further than U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose trade tariffs on Chinese imports.
“Made in China 2025” identified 10 industries that the world’s second-biggest economy wants to become globally competitive in by 2025, and globally dominant in during this century. Trump’s proposed tariffs on $50 billion of imports takes aim at many of the industries highlighted in the plan. The blueprint envisions warp-speed expansion and domination in the so-called “fourth industrial revolution,” a catch-all term for the rapid technological progress that’s seen transforming services and professions. Before trade talks with the U.S. began in Beijing in May, China said it wouldn’t accept U.S. preconditions for negotiations including abandoning the 2025 plan.