The Causes of USA–China Trade War

The United States and the People's Republic of China are global economic powers whose trade relationship has a significant impact on the world economy. Trade between the United States and the People's Republic of China has increased significantly since the reform and opening-up policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping in 1978. With the PRC's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, trade growth between the countries has increased. The US and the PRC became the most important trading partners, but the prevalence of Chinese imports over exports raised serious concerns from Washington, imposing additional duties on Chinese goods was a major point of Donald Trump's presidential election campaign in 2016. The trade conflict with China was initiated by the US in 2017-2018 when the US increased trade duties on products imported by China.  The purpose of this study is to analyze the causes of the trade war between the US and the PRC. The work aims to identify the key factors that provoked the economic confrontation, as well as to determine the nature of this economic conflict. Particular attention is paid to the strategic and economic policy of the Donald Trump administration, the imposition of tariffs and sanctions against the PRC, as well as accusations against China regarding intellectual property theft and unfair competition. The Chinese position in this conflict is presented through the analysis of official documents and publications, including the White Paper of the Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and the publications of Renmin Ribao. The findings demonstrate that the trade war may be partly motivated by the struggle for global status, not only economic but also political. The US and China are seeking to assert themselves as global leaders, and this conflict goes beyond economic issues to issues of national identity, prestige, and ideological influence. The significance of the study lies in an in-depth understanding of the causes of the trade confrontation, which may help to develop strategies to minimize economic risks in the future.