us-china-trade-war-it-s-mao-versus-maga

Why is Mao Zedong, the ruthless revolutionary long forgotten in his own country, making news nearly half a century after his death?

 

The founder of the People’s Republic of China is now being resurrected by Beijing as a counter to the United States in the escalating trade war. 

 

A combative speech made by Mao in 1953, delivering a warning to the US in the midst of the Korean war, is the latest weapon in the hands of the Chinese authorities in the ongoing war of words between the two countries.

 

“No matter how long this war is going to last, we will never yield. We will fight until we completely triumph,” were the famous words of Mao in his historic speech targeted at America. The Korean war of the 1950s saw the US supporting South Korea while China being on the side of North Korea.

 

Though the context has changed, the bitterness between the two countries appears to remain the same.

 

While the Korean war was a key event during the Cold War, highlighting the tensions between the communist and non-communist blocs, the current trade war is the result of whimsical actions of US President Donald Trump.

 

Mao versus MAGA

 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has pulled out archival footage of Mao Zedong’s speech and circulated it on social media platforms as part of its combative posturing.

 

“We are Chinese. We are not afraid of provocations. We don’t back down,” Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, said in a post on X.

 

The post also included an old, black-and-white footage of Mao’s speech. “As for how long the war should last, I think we shouldn’t decide that,” says Mao, who led the country for more than a quarter of a century until his death in 1976.

 

This is probably the first time in several decades that the Chinese officials have chosen to revive Mao’s memory to make a point at international level. Otherwise, for all practical purposes, the communist nation has erased the troubling chapters of its history, including those scripted by Mao who was responsible for the disastrous policies of the 'Great Leap Forward' and the 'Cultural Revolution'.

 

In a strident rebuff to the US on tariffs and trade, the Chinese Communist Party leadership has vowed to resist and defy external pressure and bullying.

 

While Mao’s 1953 address stoked nationalism and portrayed the United States as the perpetual aggressor, the current generation of the communist leadership, too, is casting China as the resilient underdog once again. In a way, it is the repeat of history.

 

However, the irony of the situation is not lost on political observers. Despite being a deeply polarising and divisive figure in Chinese communist history who left a disturbing legacy, Mao is now being resurrected and presented as a unifying symbol in the face of an external conflict.

 

Mao was the architect of the cultural revolution, a decade-long dark period of chaos, turmoil, persecution, death and destruction.

 

Interestingly, the cultural revolution had led to a massive and brutal purge of several communist leaders that included Xi Jinping’s father, Xi Zhongxun. Since Xi Jinping is now an all-powerful leader commanding unquestioned loyalty from the party apparatchik, the decision to invoke Mao’s imagery is quite perplexing. 

 

By invoking and owning up Mao Zedong’s wartime rhetoric, the Chinese leadership now frames the ongoing trade tensions with America as part of a broader historical struggle against an external aggressor.

 

Underestimating the dragon

 

Clearly, Trump’s advisors have failed to anticipate the severity of backlash from Beijing. Unlike many other countries which scrambled to negotiate trade deals with Washington following the tariff shocker, China, being the world’s second largest economy with an ambition to rewrite the global order, has refused to budge. In fact, it retaliated with full force, escalating the trade tensions.

 

Chinese officials have since been uncharacteristically aggressive on social media platforms, too. One of the statements, issued as part of a media blitzkrieg, said, “China’s development over the past seven decades is a result of self-reliance and hard work, not favours from others. China does not flinch from any unjust suppression”.

 

Also read: Why are Kharge and Rahul silent on Murshidabad violence?

 

While raising its own levies on US goods to 125%, China has not sought talks, saying any negotiations can only be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and equality.

 

Even the latest American announcement of a sweeping tariff of up to 245% on Chinese imports was met with defiance as Beijing made it clear that it would not pay attention to the tariff number game.

 

New alliances

 

In a tactical move, Beijing has reached out to the European Union and advocated a ‘joint effort’ to maintain the trend of economic globalisation and safeguard international trade rules and order, and resist unilateral bullying.

 

The trade war between the world’s two largest economies, if allowed to fester for long, may throw up new economic alliances that will ultimately upset the US calculations. Even the traditional American allies like Japan and South Korea have begun to re-assess their strategic positions. In fact, they have significantly strengthened their economic ties with China, especially in areas such as trade and investment.

 

This shift highlights the fact that China is no longer viewed solely as a threat, but also as an indispensable economic partner. This trend marks a significant strategic transformation in the foreign policies of both Japan and South Korea. In recent years, China has expanded its economic footprint and increased its influence globally, making it a vital investment destination for many countries, including its East Asian neighbours. Moreover, China’s collaboration with Japan and South Korea in sectors such as infrastructure and technology reflects a transformation in international relations—one that may fundamentally alter the geopolitical balance in the region.