摘要：When China and the U.S. released a joint statementin Geneva on May 12, agreeing to a 90-day tariff truce, global markets exhaled i

The Port of New Orleans in Louisiana, the United States, October 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

ByYang Xinmeng

When China and the U.S. released a joint statementin Geneva on May 12, agreeing to a 90-day tariff truce, global markets exhaled in relief. The immediate surge in trans-Pacific shipping bookings – up 277 percent within a week – wasn't just a statistical blip but a visceral testament to the world's deep hunger for stability. Behind this breakthrough stands a familiar constant: China's role as a stabilizing force – mediating crises, shaping rules and leaning on long-term pragmatism to steer the world's most consequential bilateral relationship back from the brink.

From crisis to catalyst: The 90-day truce in action

The numbers speak louder than any political rhetoric. Within hours of the tariff rollback – from 145 percent to 30 percent on Chinese imports and 125 percent to 10 percent on U.S. goods – supply chains roared back to life. U.S. importers scrambled to secure container space, with Vizion reporting a 277 percent spike in bookings. German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd saw a 50 percent week-on-week surge in China-U.S. traffic.

For Shanghai-based Wareda Sunshade Equipment, the truce translated into $1 million in orders overnight. "American clients didn't even pause for small talk," said general manager Ding Linfeng. "They just demanded more containers."

This urgency reveals a hard truth: the joint statement didn't create demand; it simply unlocked what political brinkmanship had suppressed.

U.S. importers froze shipments in April when the Donald Trump administration threatened tariffs of 145 percent. China's calibrated response, countering pressure while keeping dialogue open, prevented a full-blown collapse.

Now, with a narrow window of opportunity, companies like Colorado-based apparel brand Krimson Klover are racing to move inventory before the truce expires. "The consumer is going to pay for uncertainty ultimately," said COO Gail Ross. Still, even a temporary thaw has allowed businesses to breathe again.

China's playbook: Reciprocity without retaliation

What sets China's approach apart is its balance of firmness and flexibility. While Beijing matched U.S. tariffs during earlier escalations, it consistently framed its actions as defensive, not punitive. "We will fight; if we fight, we must. Our doors are open if the U.S. wants to talk," Chinese officials declared. That strategy, anchored in long-term pragmatism, contrasts sharply with Washington's unpredictable swings between hardline demands and sudden concessions.

By proposing synchronized tariff reductions and a standing consultation mechanism, China helped shift the narrative from zero-sum confrontation to mutual gain.

Consider The Windy Company, a U.S. windshield wiper startup. Co-founder Keaton Brown noted, "Even 30 percent tariffs are historically high," but the truce at least gave them room to plan ahead. That companies are willing to reengage, even with elevated costs, reflects a consensus: Interdependence isn't a liability; it's a reality. By offering a reciprocal posture instead of ultimatums, China acknowledges that.

A press briefing is held by Chinese officials following the China-U.S. high-level meeting on economic and trade affairs in Geneva, Switzerland, May 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The bigger picture: Stabilizing a fractured global order

The Geneva deal's implications go well beyond bilateral trade. As WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized, the truce averted worst-case scenarios for vulnerable economies:"Any decoupling of China-U.S. trade would have quite negative spillover ... especially on poor countries." As per WTO projections, the tariff rollback alone could shift global trade forecasts from a 0.2 percent contraction to 0.1 percent growth.

Critics may call the 90-day pause a Band-Aid, but its symbolism is profound. In April, the U.S.'s unilateral tariff hikes triggered immediate shortages and rising domestic inflation. China's measured yet firm response brought Washington back to the table.

By embedding expiration terms into the de-escalation deal, both sides offered businesses something in short supply: visibility. Even temporary clarity enables importers to "rebound" rather than freeze, notedGrace Zwemmerof Oxford Economics.

China a bridge builder in the age of uncertainty

China's greatest contribution to China-U.S. relations isn't tactical dealmaking – it's strategic consistency. While Washington lurches between confrontation and crisis control, Beijing has grounded its approach in three principles:reciprocal respect,systemic resilience andforward-looking dialogue.

The Geneva truce embodies this philosophy. By temporarily lowering tariffs, China didn't just "win" a negotiation; it fostered an environment where trust could be rebuilt.

For now, China has turned confrontation into coordination, and the world is breathing more freely because of it.

In a time when certainty is scarce, China's most vital export may no longer be goods but something far rarer: the audacity to build bridges in a divided world.

Yang Xinmeng is a current affairs commentator.

来源：中国网一点号