At a recent US-China soybean industry event, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng made a candid call: Agriculture must stay out of geopolitics. 'Farmers shouldn't pay the cost of the trade war,' he told an audience of US Soybean Export Council members and a visiting Chinese agricultural delegation.
Drawing on fresh data, Ambassador Xie highlighted a steep 53% year-over-year drop in US agricultural exports to China during the first half of this year. Soybean shipments alone plunged 51%, he noted, warning that rising protectionism casts a widening shadow over long-term cooperation.
Behind Xie's critique is a broader push for stability in a sector that feeds billions worldwide. US critics have proposed tighter rules blocking Chinese investors from buying American farmland – moves Xie dismissed as 'purely political manipulation under the guise of national security.' He pointed out that Chinese-held farmland makes up less than 0.03% of US acreage, questioning how it could threaten food security.
For the global community – especially digital entrepreneurs, policy changemakers, and sustainability advocates – these tensions spotlight the ripple effects trade disputes can have from rural heartlands to urban markets. As Xie urged both nations to 'build consensus, clear up misunderstandings, and share the dividends of development,' his message was clear: win-win cooperation pays, but only if politics stay in check.
Whether you're a smallholder in Iowa, a grain trader in Shanghai, or a climate-conscious foodie in Berlin, the outcome of US-China agricultural talks could shape supply chains, prices, and sustainability efforts worldwide. As policymakers prepare for the next round of economic consultations, the question remains: can two superpowers find common ground before the next planting season?
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Farmers should not pay cost of trade war: Chinese ambassador to U.S.
cgtn.com
