With cumulative tariffs of 104 percent on Chinese imports, an expert in Beijing says Washington's actions will drive to near-zero any exports to the U.S. Chen Yuan spoke to Tu Xinquan – dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics – about the future of China-U.S. trade.

CHEN YUAN CGTN "If the new tariffs come into effect, how high will the tariffs on Chinese imports be?"

TU XINQUAN Dean, China Institute for WTO Studies University of International Business and Economics "Tariff of over 70 percent is already prohibitive, making it very difficult for China to export to the U.S."

CHEN YUAN CGTN "How might such high tariffs affect China-U.S. trade?"

TU XINQUAN Dean, China Institute for WTO Studies University of International Business and Economics "If Trump's tariffs are implemented and China resolutely retaliates by imposing a 50-percent additional tariff on imported American products, China-U.S. trade will plummet sharply, approaching zero. Although it won't be completely zero, as there will still be products with inelastic demand, but the general trend will be toward zero, meaning a complete decoupling of the China-U.S. goods trade. There are no winners in a trade war, and both sides will suffer enormous losses. However, I believe in the resilience, sustainable development capacity and potential of the Chinese economy."

CHEN YUAN CGTN Reporter "What tools and policies does China have in place to mitigate the effects of these tariffs?"

TU XINQUAN Dean, China Institute for WTO Studies University of International Business and Economics "We still have many means at our disposal. Domestically, on the one hand, it's necessary to provide incentives for firms, workers and consumers directly affected by the tariffs to help them get through the difficulties. On the other hand, China should expand the domestic consumer market, stabilize the supply chain, and provide relief space for export-oriented firms. Internationally, we should continue to maintain normal trade relations with other countries, actively expand foreign markets, firmly uphold the multilateral trading system, and promote regional or multilateral trade liberalization to expand international circulation for China."