China-US Trade Tensions: Friction could mean 'untold' losses

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The U.S. Trade Representative's Office says the proposed tariffs target China's tech industries - notably those in the country's "Made in China 2025" campaign.

That campaign is a sprawling strategy that aims to improve China's manufacturing by replacing imports with domestic products while also promoting industries of the future.

Those companies are still watching the developments but say they don't like the uncertainty.

The proposed tariffs are estimated at about 50 billion US dollars and would be a hard blow to China's tech sector.

CGTN reached out to some of the Chinese companies for their thoughts. That includes companies from China's leading home-appliance and robot manufacturer (Midea), to the country's top gene-sequencing provider (BGI), to underwater robot and engineering provider Sublue and others. None of the companies directly commented on the tariffs or have yet gauged the effects on themselves.

But they are all worried about what's coming and hope that the increasing friction won't rattle the global trade environment. The companies all have visions for international outreach, value their overseas markets, and say uncertainty and volatility is definitely not what they want to see.

Meanwhile, the China Chamber of International Commerce says that the tariffs could bring "UNTOLD" losses to the business sector and consumers in China and the United States.

Experts also warn that the U.S. is disrupting order as it works against the market economy.

ZHOU MI CHINESE ACADEMY OF INT'L TRADE AND ECONOMICS COOPERATION "Competition is what's keeping the economy alive. The US is acting against that. It's dangerous for the US too, even though it stands on the high end of the global value chain. Prices will rise for consumers, unless other countries take part."

Public opinion in China has been largely supportive of a stern, strong Chinese stance. But Chinese consumers also have yet to experience the harsh realities that continuing trade friction could bring.

Sun Ye, CGTN, Beijing.