The Washington Post recently reported that presidential candidate Donald Trump has publicly expressed support for reducing China's trade status with the United States, a move that could trigger a sharp increase in tariffs between the two countries.

    According to one analysis, removing China's trade "most favored nation" status, which applies to almost every country that trades with the United States, could result in the federal government imposing tariffs of more than 40 percent on Chinese imports. Trump has also proposed a 10 percent tariff on nearly $3 trillion in annual imports from all countries, including China.

    Trump has privately discussed with advisers the possibility of imposing tariffs of up to 60 percent on all Chinese imports, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. However, the proposal has not been publicly announced and there are no concrete plans to implement it. Analysts have pointed out that such a high tariff could lead to an escalation of the trade war and have a negative impact on the global economy.

    Economists in both parties point out that all of these options would be hugely disruptive to the U.S. and global economy, far more so than the trade wars of Trump's first term. They warned that such policies could not only lead to slower growth or recession in the United States, but also spark trade wars and economic instability around the world.

    Erica York, senior economist at the Tax Foundation, a think tank that opposes tariffs, said: "The trade wars of 2018-19 were extremely damaging, and this one is so much more damaging than previous ones that it's hard to even compare." This could upend and fragment global trade to an extent we have not seen in centuries."

    Trump's first trade war has failed, and while it was intended to boost US manufacturing and reduce the trade imbalance, neither goal has been achieved. Instead, the burden of tariffs is borne almost entirely by American consumers and businesses, who pay tariffs on nearly $380 billion worth of imports. This causes companies to face higher operating costs and further weakens their competitiveness in the international market.

    A Trump campaign spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. During the campaign, Trump insisted that import tariffs would revitalize domestic industries and raise money for the federal government. Ignored or dismissed the views of economists from both parties.

    Despite the destabilizing effects of tariffs on the global and U.S. economies, Trump has pledged to greatly expand their scope in his second term. He proposed "universal base tariffs" on almost all imports, or about $3 trillion worth of goods. That would increase the number of goods subject to tariffs by more than nine times over his first term.

    China is now the third largest trading partner of the United States, after Mexico and Canada, accounting for 11.7 percent of total U.S. foreign trade. However, a series of tariff measures adopted by the US government have aroused widespread concern and criticism at home and abroad. Not only do these measures fall short of the Trump administration's stated goal of boosting U.S. manufacturing, they may actually do the opposite, placing additional burdens on U.S. businesses and consumers. Many economists have also pointed out that the imposition of tariffs is largely borne by American consumers and businesses, not by Chinese sellers.

    Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank, called Trump's trade proposals "crazy" and argued that such a clampdown on Chinese imports would hurt U.S. businesses, Depriving them of billions of potential customers. "If the Trump administration imposes higher tariffs on imports from China, American companies will lose much of their market share in China and many third countries."

    Response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    "We do not comment on unconfirmed information," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference on Wednesday afternoon in response to US media reports that former US President Donald Trump discussed with his advisers the possibility of imposing a 60 percent uniform tariff on all Chinese imports.

    Wang Wenbin pointed out that the essence of China-Us economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win, and to maintain the sound and steady development of China-Us economic and trade relations is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, and is also conducive to global economic growth.