“Economics will triumph over politics and free trade will overcome hegemony,“ Ma added. “China can seize this chance to broaden its circle of friends and jointly foster a new trade framework on the foundation of equality, freedom and mutual benefits with other economies.“

　　High-ranking officials from Italy, Portugal and France, as well as the European commissioner for trade and economic security, visited China in late March. Around the same time, South Korea and Japan agreed to accelerate negotiations with China on the stalled trilateral free trade agreement.

　　“Our championing of free trade is not just a response to US aggression, but a strategic initiative to guide the development of the multilateral system in a direction that benefits all,“ said Mei Xinyu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

　　“The US' blanket, across-the-board imposition of high tariffs this time might end up uniting all the affected economies into a shared marketplace that could potentially dwarf the size of the US market,“ Mei said.

　　wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn