Constructive Opinion | Can the Global Times really “speak harshly” on behalf of the country?

On September 10, the Global Times published a nonsensical editorial on Sino-EU economic and trade issues:

If the EU is determined to fight a trade war with China, then try it

EU and China fighting a trade war? What kind of tabloid nonsense is this?

As everyone knows, China and the United States currently have many trade conflicts and are in a state of trade war. In contrast, economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU has always been flourishing, and there has never been any news of a full-scale trade war. Where is the trade war between China and the EU?

Although China and the EU have disagreements in certain specific areas of politics and economics, and occasionally there are some discordant voices, overall, bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU is generally stable and continuously expanding.

In the full year of 2025, the bilateral trade volume between China and the EU was 828.1 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%. In the first half of 2026, the bilateral trade volume between China and the EU was 447.8 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 14.2%, with significant growth in both imports and exports. Amidst the drastic fluctuations of the US global tariff policy, China and the EU are extremely important trading partners to each other, and it would not be an exaggeration to say they are the most important partners currently.

When doing a lot of business, friction is inevitable. The EU may have some dissatisfactions, and China may also have some discomforts. These can be discussed openly. Especially since the interests of various countries within the EU are not entirely consistent, and there are different party platforms within each country, the entire EU can never truly speak with one voice, and there will always be voices unfriendly to China. This has happened in the past, is happening now, and will continue to happen in the future. It is not surprising at all and will not affect the general trend of cooperation between China and the EU.

However, some tabloids, perhaps unable to bear seeing Chinese enterprises doing well and Chinese people living good lives, become hysterical at the slightest stir, stubbornly shouting about fighting a trade war.

The question is, is it up to the Global Times to decide whether to fight a trade war or not?

I have checked all the statements regarding the EU on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website over the past year, and none of them have ever mentioned terms like trade war.

The most recent statement by a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sino-EU economic and trade relations was on June 8th this year, when spokesperson Lin Jian stated:

Sino-EU economic and trade relations are not a zero-sum game of “you win, I lose”; they can completely achieve mutual success and win-win results. China’s attitude towards resolving Sino-EU economic and trade differences is open and positive. We hope that the EU will meet China halfway and resolve issues through dialogue and consultation, promoting Sino-EU economic and trade cooperation to better benefit businesses and people of both sides.

There are differences between the two sides, but overall it is mutually beneficial and win-win. China’s attitude is to resolve issues through consultation. The attitude is friendly, reasonable, and measured. Where is there any hint of threatening to fight a trade war with the EU?

The problem with the Global Times, on a small scale, is its loose talk revealing its tabloid nature; on a larger scale, it is misrepresenting imperial decrees, misleading the international community, and interfering with national diplomatic strategies.

There has always been a rumor online that many statements from the Global Times are used by the country to test the waters, and that harsh words that the state cannot say directly are spoken by the Global Times.

I can responsibly tell you that this is pure nonsense! The Global Times, in terms of its administrative level, propaganda positioning, and external influence, is completely incapable of undertaking the function of “speaking harsh words for the country.”

Let’s talk about administrative level first. The Global Times is a news unit at the正厅级 (zheng ting ji – bureau level) and is at the same level as provincial party newspapers, as well as “China Women’s News” and “Farmers’ Daily.” In China, there are nearly a hundred media outlets at the same level as the Global Times, so it’s not an exaggeration to say they are abundant.

National diplomatic will is mainly expressed through ministerial-level news units such as Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, and People’s Daily. It is impossible to delegate this to a newspaper at the bureau level, as there is a significant difference in hierarchy!

Let’s talk about propaganda positioning. The Global Times is characterized by its reporting on international news. Its stated function is to help Chinese people understand the world and to convey China’s voice to the world. However, in reality, the overseas editorial and reporting strength of the Global Times is not even a fraction of that of Xinhua News Agency and CCTV, so it is not its role to help Chinese people understand the world.

The main work of the Global Times is to compile and translate foreign media reports, with very few original international news pieces. Even the compiled reports are mostly “fabricated.” If a person relies on reading the Global Times to understand the world, their understanding will be muddled for life. To put it bluntly, this is the true positioning of this newspaper in the propaganda system.

Finally, let’s look at external influence. The actual external influence of the Global Times is infinitely close to zero. Using the Global Times to speak harsh words externally is like you sitting on the toilet in your home and muttering curses at Trump. The Global Times does have an English version called “Global Times,” but its actual international subscription numbers and attention in the international media market are negligible.

In terms of level, the level is insufficient; in terms of positioning, the positioning is incorrect; in terms of external influence, it is close to zero. From any perspective, national diplomatic will cannot be expressed through harsh words from the Global Times. Such rumors are purely them puffing themselves up, making the uninformed masses think they represent the country.

I will clarify this once and for all today, hoping that no one will be fooled again in the future.