According to SCMP , at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 14, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made strong statements aimed at the US after President Donald Trump imposed the first tariffs on Chinese goods.

Mr. Wang Yi declared that China will "play to the end" if the US persists in applying pressure, even though Beijing does not want conflict with Washington.

The statement was made after US President Donald Trump decided to impose a 10% tax on imports from China in early February. China then also retaliated: imposing a 15% tax on US coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG), 10% on crude oil, agricultural equipment and some imported vehicles...

The shocking rise of China

Over the past few decades, China has emerged as the world's second largest economy, second only to the United States. China's rise has been dramatic, with growth regularly maintaining double digits for many years.

China has become the “factory of the world” and has complete supply chains. Its technology is changing rapidly, with the ambition to surpass the US in innovation.

The rise of China has captured the world's attention.

Donald Trump initiated a series of actions in his first term, from trade, currency to technology. The US imposed many sanctions, especially in the technology sector. Huawei, TikTok and other Chinese technology corporations are constantly under strict control in the US market. The US and many Western countries are diversifying their supply chains to reduce their dependence on China.

China's global economic and political influence is also increasing with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China’s rise has only recently caused real concern in the world. Just two weeks after Trump took office (January 20), China has shaken the tech world, causing major US tech companies to lose trillions of dollars after DeepSeek and Alibaba launched two artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, DeepSeek R1 and Alibaba Qwen.

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At the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 14, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made strong statements aimed at the US. Photo: SCMP

These two platforms are considered “earthquakes”, with many points that are considered superior to the American platforms that had been storming the AI ​​market about 2 years before. That is, the inference ability is not inferior, the open source code is very flexible and the cost is extremely low, only a fraction of what American corporations have spent. The belief that American AI technology is far ahead of China is more shaken than ever.

Major US tech companies are meeting to assess the situation. US President Donald Trump immediately made the assertion that the sudden rise of the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek "should be a wake-up call " for US tech companies.

At the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 14, Mr. Wang Yi quoted the famous Chinese saying "The sky moves strongly, the self-reliant gentleman strives to advance without stopping"... and suggested that if he finds it difficult to translate and understand the meaning of this sentence, "he can ask China's DeepSeek for help."

Tensions are at an unprecedented high, is Mr. Trump about to have a decisive confrontation?

Previously, during Mr. Trump's first term and when Mr. Joe Biden was president, the US continuously took measures to restrict advanced technologies that could be sold to China to prevent Chinese companies from developing high-tech chips, including chips used for Beijing's military applications.

Beijing says such restrictions are part of a long-term plan to contain China's technological advances.

Now, tensions seem to be intensifying. And it is possible that America under Trump is preparing for a decisive confrontation that will determine who will lead the new world order. Technology is seen as the fiercest battle.

The Munich Security Conference this past week has seen some shocking events. First, US Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of European allies. Second, the US proposal for Ukraine to provide 50% of its rare earth minerals as repayment for military aid. Then, there was the news of a peace negotiation between Russia and Ukraine without direct European participation.

On February 15, Keith Kellogg - Mr. Trump's special envoy - clearly announced that the US will negotiate with Russia to find a solution to the crisis in Ukraine without European and Ukrainian officials.

Besides efforts to promote mineral agreements with Ukraine, the US also considers increasing its influence in resource-rich and strategically located areas such as the Panama Canal, Greenland...

Earlier, on February 12, Mr. Trump said he had a "long and highly productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the conversation, they discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, AI, the strength of the US dollar and other issues.

So what's going on?

The latest moves show that Mr. Trump is also reducing his commitments in the EU, in Ukraine as well as in the Middle East. The White House is also reviewing cooperation with Russia as a strategic partner to balance power against the rise of China.

The uncompromising trade policy shows that the US seems to be trying to restructure its economy, to reduce dependence on other economies, promote self-reliance and dominate the global supply chain.

The Trump administration’s efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine will help the US reduce its aid budget, and may have economic benefits, especially important minerals such as rare earths - of which the US imports about 70% from China.

If the Russia-Ukraine conflict ends, it will help Europe and Russia escape pressure and prices of goods, fuel, food, etc. may drop sharply. Many supply chains will be reconnected. Inflation will cool down, opening up room for Washington to step up the global trade war, moving towards a new alliance system to most effectively deal with China. Currently, the US considers China a strategic competitor, a security threat, especially in the fields of economy, technology and global influence.

The US-China economic war is unfolding on many fronts. This competition could last for decades, shaping the world order in the 21st century. It is also unpredictable due to changes and differences within countries (like the US), between allies and between rivals.

Mr. Trump's new order has shaken the world, can Vietnam be outside the "epicenter"? President Donald Trump has just ordered to impose reciprocal import tariffs on the whole world. All countries are in the "target", especially those that are imposing high tariffs on American goods and have a trade surplus with the US. So what about Vietnam?