BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- By doubling down on tariffs under the pretext of "fairness," Washington is expected to roll out a swathe of so-called "reciprocal tariffs" against a number of countries on Wednesday, including its long-term allies and major trading partners.

As the countries worldwide prepare to face the repercussions, one thing has become increasingly clearer: this U.S. administration under Donald Trump takes economic coercion simply as a winning strategy. Concessions can only embolden its appetite for bullying.

To set the record straight, willful tariff escalation is in no way to fix global trade problems. The more alarming truth is that building up trade barriers has already become one of Washington's attempts to wield economic pains as a leverage for geopolitical gains. It is also an effort to enforce obedience abroad while shifting blames for domestic structural failures overseas.

The recent developments can serve as a reminder. Only days after the Trump administration took office in late January, it vowed to slap 25 percent additional tariffs on Mexico, blaming the country for illegal immigration and drug trafficking. However, the reality is that Washington itself bears primary responsibility for its drug crisis, fueled mainly by lax regulations. Likewise, the issue of illegal immigration cannot be resolved through economic coercion but requires genuine bilateral negotiations.

Facing the threat, Mexico reached some agreement with Washington and deployed troops reinforcement at the borders. The Latin American country, in order to comply with the U.S. demands, is even weighing tariffs on Chinese goods. Those efforts, however, all failed to prevent the punitive duties from taking effect. And Mexico is also reported to be among those who will be hit by the "reciprocal tariffs."

The fact is that the Trump administration's tariff-centered trade policy is in line with America's long-running history of economic bullying. Just look at Japan and its "Lost Decade" after bowing to Washington's pressure and signing the Plaza Accord.

More signals are coming out that the Trump administration is going to further intensify its use of tariffs as its go-to instrument for global arm-twisting. In recent days, Trump threatened to impose so-called secondary tariffs, which affect buyers of a country's goods, on both Russia and Iran, aiming to influence Ukraine-Russia negotiations and the Iran nuclear deal in his favor.

The consequences are already clear. By blurring the lines between commerce and coercion, Washington is risking turning global trade into an arena ruled by the law of the jungle. The countries worldwide now face a stark choice: appease Washington's unreasonable demands or stand up for their own legitimate rights?

Already, the cry for countermeasures is growing worldwide, from Europe to Asia and Latin America. Both recent and distant histories have shown that Washington is only interested in maintaining its global supremacy. To that end, it will resort to all sorts of means at the expense of the interests of whoever it perceives as obstacles.

This is not the time to pray for change of mind from Washington, but to stand together for a collective response. Enditem

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