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After imposing steep additional tariffs on Chinese exports such as electric vehicles and solar panels, the United States is instigating a broader trade war against China.
Highlighting the potential threat from what she labels as China's excess industrial capacity, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen underscored the Joe Biden administration is seeking to get Europe to gang up with the US to act in a "strategic and united way" to build "a wall of opposition" against so-called unfair Chinese practices.
The US policy circle clearly loves the notion of walls, something they can hunker the US behind to avoid the spillback from their actions and use to fool the US public by giving seeming substance to their fanciful claim that the country is a castle besieged.
The wall of opposition they are trying to erect is not one that is intended for united efforts for common benefits, even limited to supposed allies.
 It is a wall of fragmentation from which the US is intended to be the sole beneficiary, and the US' European allies are merely useful labor for the construction work.The wall once built will not only further disrupt the global industry and supply chains, but also dampen hopes for rescuing and resetting economic globalization.
Yet the Biden administration's recent wolf-crying over alleged Chinese overcapacity has clearly wormed its way into the changing-world anxieties of the developed countries, as the G7 members led by the US expressed shared "concerns about China's comprehensive use of nonmarket policies and practices that undermines our workers, industries, and economic resilience".
The overcapacity rhetoric has gained such currency in Europe lately that Beijing must make even greater efforts to get across its counterargument that Chinese industrial capacity in green industries is a natural outcome of market competition that is beyond reproach.
That the US has, it seems, scared its allies into swallowing its bait will backfire against their own economies, and further hinder their green transition. 
The other G7 countries should be wary of falling in line behind the US to put up trade barriers to "neutralize" China's green export growth.
But just as the French and German finance ministers pointed out, a trade war, not to mention such an extensive one as Washington envisions, is a formula for lose-lose outcomes.Christian Lindner, the German finance minister, said, "trade wars are all about losing, you can't win them.
"Accusations regarding Chinese trading practices must be examined objectively and very carefully, he said, and if joint actions are to be taken, they must have World Trade Organization support.But if the accusations are indeed examined carefully, they will be seen for what they are — another strand in the net the US is trying to weave to contain China's development.

China and the Republic of Korea have agreed to start high-level strategic dialogue between their foreign ministries and expedite the second phase of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement amid their strained relations in recent years.
The decision was made on Sunday when Premier Li Qiang met with ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul ahead of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and the ROK, which is scheduled for Monday.
Both sides also agreed to hold"2+2" dialogues on foreign affairs and security at deputy ministerial level, and initiate the "track 1.5"dialogue and exchange mechanism.
 "Track 1.5" dialogues are talks that involve a delegation of government officials, who participate in an unofficial capacity, and nongovernmental experts — all sitting around the same table.
The two countries pledged to better leverage mechanisms such as the economic ministers' meeting as well as consultations on industrial investment cooperation, industrial and supply chain collaboration and export control, revive the China-ROK Joint Committee on People-to-People Exchanges and youth exchanges, and further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
During the meeting, Li called on the ROK to work with China to respect each other's core interests and major concerns and stay committed to being neighbors who trust each other and partners who help each other to succeed.
He said the industrial and supply chains of China and the ROK are deeply intertwined, with a solid foundation and enormous potential for economic and trade cooperation.
While calling for expanding cooperation in more fields, Li underscored the need for both countries to jointly resist politicizing economic and trade issues, or overstretching the concept of security, to maintain stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains.
China is willing to accelerate the second phase of negotiations on the bilateral FTA based on a pragmatic and balanced approach, advance the construction of the China-ROK(Changchun) International Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and strengthen partnership in the fields of high-end manufacturing, new energy, artificial intelligence and biomedicine, the premier said.
He pledged that China will further expand market access, enhance service guarantees for foreign investment, continuously foster a world-class, market-based business environment governed by a sound legal framework, and welcome more ROK companies to invest and do business in the country.
China is willing to enhance communication and coordination with the ROK in multilateral fields to jointly promote regional and global peace and development, Li added.With the United States imposing restrictions to hinder China's development, there has been a negative trend among its allies to overstretch the concept of security in the fields of economics, trade and technology.
As a staunch ally of the US in Northeast Asia, the ROK has also adopted negative foreign policies toward China such as implementing export controls.However, China has been the ROK's largest trading partner for 20 years in a row. 
Despite a year-on-year decrease of 13.5 percent, bilateral trade reached more than $310 billion in 2023, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs.Yoon said that maintaining close cooperation between the ROK and China is not only important for the development of both countries, but also significant for achieving global peace and prosperity.
He assured Li that the ROK adheres to the one-China principle, a stance that remains unchanged, and will continue to steadfastly develop its relations with China.
The ROK is willing to maintain high-level exchanges and close communication at all levels with China on the basis of mutual respect, expand economic and trade cooperation, enhance cultural exchanges, and broaden common interests between the two countries, Yoon said.
He added that Seoul is ready to deepen trilateral cooperation among the ROK, C

In a classroom filled with eager students, the lecture on exercise and nutrition is in full swing. Meanwhile, on the sports field, students are jogging, and in the training center, they are learning rock climbing. In the cafeteria, teachers guide students on healthy diet. This is not just any ordinary class at the Peking University, but a groundbreaking course titled "Physical Fitness Enhancement: Exercise and Diet," which has become the talk of the town among students as the ultimate "weight loss miracle class."
Unlike traditional physical education classes, the course aims to teach students how to achieve weight loss goals in a scientific and healthy manner, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.
The weight loss class at Beijing University has been running for two years, and it has helped one-third of the students successfully lose over 5 percent of their body weight, with the best record being a student who lost 33 pounds in one semester.
One of the students who enrolled in this class is Lou Yuqian, a 23-year-old undergraduate student. Standing at 175cm tall and weighing 85kg, with a BMI of 26, he was determined to find a scientific way to shed those extra pounds. 
"This course is not only a physical education requirement but also teaches scientific weight-losing methods, it's like it was tailor-made for me," Lou said. 
Due to the high demand for the course, students have to draw lots to secure a spot, and Lou was lucky enough to be selected, according to the Beijing Youth Daily.
Another success story is Hou Xiaoyang, who entered Beijing University in 2023 weighing 220 pounds with a BMI of 32, was classified as obese. After completing the weight loss course for one semester, he managed to shed 33 pounds, becoming the current record holder for weight loss in the class.
Many students, like Cheng Lu, have tried various methods to lose weight, from following social media influencers' workout routines to trying different diet plans, but with little success. Frustrated with the lack of results, Cheng decided to enroll in the weight loss class.
The course is divided into theory, exercise training, and live discussions, with Assistant Professor Zhang Xiaoyuan from the Department of Physical Education leading the theoretical lectures and professional trainers guiding students in exercise training.
On a morning in the university cafeteria, students are seen meticulously weighing their breakfast and calculating the calorie content. This hands-on approach to learning about nutrition is just one of the many innovative methods employed in the weight loss class.
The course has received high praise from students, with many describing it as "progressive and systematic." By incorporating a balanced diet and regular exercise into their daily routine, students are not only losing weight but also gaining confidence and adopting healthier lifestyle choices.
Source: Global Times

Ireland, Spain and Norway are recognizing a Palestinian state, the three announced Wednesday.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said the historic move was coordinated with the other two, marking "an historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine." He said it's intended to help get a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution.
The official recognition by the three nations of an independent Palestinian state will take effect on May 28, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told a news conference Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reports.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, his country's Socialist leader since 2018, made the expected announcement about the recognition to his nation's Parliament on Wednesday.
Sánchez has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for the recognition of Palestine, as well as a possible ceasefire in Gaza. He has said several times that he was committed to the move.
Earlier this month, Spain's Foreign Minister José Albares said he had informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of his government's intention of recognizing Palestine.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered his country's ambassadors to Ireland and Norway to immediately return to Israel and threatened to recall Israel's ambassador to Spain if that country takes a similar position, which it since has.
"Ireland and Norway intend to send a message today to the Palestinians and the whole world: Terrorism pays," Katz said.
He said the recognition could impede efforts to return Israel's hostages being held in Gaza and makes a cease-fire less likely by "rewarding the jihadists of Hamas and Iran." 
Earlier Wednesday in announcing Norway's recognition of a Palestinian state, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said "there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition."
"By recognizing a Palestinian state, Norway supports the Arab peace plan," he said.
Several European Union countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to make the recognition, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.
Norway, which isn't a member of the European Union but mirror its moves, has been an ardent supporter of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
"The terror has been committed by Hamas and militant groups who are not supporters of a two-state solution and the state of Israel," the Norwegian government leader said.
"Palestine has a fundamental right to an independent state," Gahr Støre told a news conference.
The move comes as Israeli forces have led assaults on the northern and southern edges of the Gaza Strip in May, causing a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, and sharply restricted the flow of aid, raising the risk of famine.
The Scandinavian country "will therefore regard Palestine as an independent state with all the rights and obligations that entails," Gahr Støre said.
Norway's recognition of a Palestine state comes more than 30 years after the first Oslo accord was signed in 1993.
Since then, "the Palestinians have taken important steps towards a two-state solution," the Norwegian government said.
It said the World Bank determined that Palestine had met key criteria to function as a state in 2011, that national institutions have been built up to provide the population with important services.
"The war in Gaza and the constant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank still mean that the situation in Palestine is more difficult than it has been in decades," the Norwegian government said.
Source: CBS News, CCTV

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The People's Liberation Army announced on Thursday morning that it started two-day joint military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan from 7:45 am Thursday.
In a brief statement, the PLA's Eastern Theater Command declared that the exercise would take place in the Taiwan Strait, the north, south and east of Taiwan Island, as well as areas around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin.
In another concurrently released statement, Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, emphasized that the exercises serve as a "strong punishment" against the separatist acts of the "Taiwan independence" forces and a "stern warning" to interference and provocation by external forces.
He said the drills, code-named Joint Sword-2024A, scheduled from Thursday to Friday, will involve military services including the army, navy, air force and rocket force of the theater command.
The exercises focus on practicing joint maritime and aerial combat readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes of key targets, Li said.
The spokesman added that the drills involve the patrol of vessels and planes closing in on areas around the island of Taiwan and integrated operations inside and outside the island chain to test the joint real combat capabilities of theater command forces.
Reporter: Jiang Chenglong