What Mao and the Korean War Tell Us About the Chinese Psyche in the Fight Against Trump

When China said on April 11 that it would match US President Donald Trump's tariffs of 125 percent from April 12, its message was loud and clear: Bring it on.

- Yew Lun Tian

"China never bluffs—and we see through those who do," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning wrote on X on April 11, hours before the announcement.

Mr. Trump might have hoped that by focusing his reciprocal tariff wrath on China and hiking it up to 125 percent—later clarified by the White House that it was 145 percent—while sparing all other countries, he could make the Chinese waver, crumble, and call for a deal.

That was never going to happen. Beijing has decided from the start that it will not come to the negotiating table under duress. Any talks can take place only on an "equal footing," government spokespersons repeatedly said.

It's not simply a matter of "face" or pride.

Rather, it is the Chinese taking a leaf from the playbook of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC), on how he faced off the Americans during the Korean War of 1950-1953.

In 1950, Mao famously said: "A well-thrown first punch can prevent 10,000 punches later." He believed that in the face of provocation, an early show of strength can establish credibility, set boundaries, and deter future aggression.