On March 7th, the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) held a press conference. U.S.-China relations were one of the key topics discussed. In response, Yangcheng Evening News conducted an exclusive interview with Wang Yong, a professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University and director of the American Studies Center, Peking University, on topics like trajectory of China-U.S. relations and people-to-people exchanges.According to Wang Yong, "America First" remains the primary governing principle of the Trump administration. Although initial frictions between China and the U.S. are inevitable, there is still room for cooperation.

"America First" shapes U.S. foreign policy

Yangcheng Evening News: How do you think the governing style of the current Trump administration differs from his previous term? What policies of Trump can be predicted?

Wang Yong: Trump 2.0 is vastly different from the Democratic administration. first, he places greater emphasis on the so-called "America First" principle, which serves as his guiding ideology. This is driven by populism, trade protectionism, and nationalism. Under this mindset, trump's policies will focus more on securing tangible economic benefits, treating everything as negotiable. However, he shows little regard for the liberal international order that the U.S. once championed and tends to overlook ideological concerns. This characteristic has become quite evident in the first month since he took office.

The second major factor influencing his governance is his personal style. The current U.S. power structure has undergone significant changes, with the president holding dominant authority. Additionally, the Republican Party fully controls both chambers of Congress, and many Republicans are his loyalists. Trump's unpredictable and erratic thinking further exacerbates the uncertainty of his governing style.

While "America First" and economic nationalism are predictable, what remains uncertain is Trump's inconsistency and unpredictability in specific policies and their implementation.

China-U.S. Trade relations are mutually beneficial, not coercive

Yangcheng Evening News: How should China respond to pressure from the U.S. In various sectors?

Wang Yong: During Trump 2.0, The U.S. will still regard China as its primary competitor. The U.S. currently has a trade deficit of over 300 billion dollars with China, which the Trump administration sees as highly unfavorable. However, in reality, China-U.S. Trade relations are mutually beneficial and do not involve coercion. in this trade process, The U.S. Has reaped substantial benefits. However, The Trump administration does not see it this way, as its thinking remains rooted in pre-19th-century mercantilism.

In the future, China may face continued tariff hikes from the U.S., and the U.S. may also use the Taiwan questionand the South China Sea issue to exert pressure. China's strategy is to adhere to its principles—mutual respect, Peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation—while respecting each other's core interests.

People-to-people cxchanges between China and the U.S. Are crucial

Yangcheng Evening News: How do you view the trajectory of China-U.S. relations during Trump's second term?

Wang Yong: I maintain a cautiously optimistic outlook on China-U.S. relations. Although Trump 2.0 will continue to pressure China, Today's China is vastly different from before—especially in terms of technological and innovation capabilities, as well as the international competitiveness of Chinese enterprises. Additionally, China's reliance on U.S. markets for exports has significantly decreased, Providing us with greater flexibility in trade disputes.

Yangcheng Evening News: In the broader context of competition between two major countries, how can China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges be sustained?

Wang Yong: People-to-people exchanges between China and the U.S. are crucial, on par with official interactions. Platforms like Xiaohongshu have set a good example for direct, ideology-free communication between Chinese and American netizens. Such exchanges help reduce political barriers and overcome ideological biases.

北京大学国际关系学院教授、北京大学美国研究中心主任王勇谈“特朗普2.0”走势与应对：

前期中美摩擦无法避免 但合作空间广阔

3月7日，十四届全国人大三次会议举行记者会。中美关系是本场记者会焦点问题之一。对此，羊城晚报记者就中美关系走向、中美民间交往等话题，专访了北京大学国际关系学院教授、北京大学美国研究中心主任王勇。

在王勇看来，“美国优先”是特朗普政府当前主要的施政方针，尽管前期中美摩擦不可避免，但中美仍有合作的空间。

“美国优先”主义决定美国对外政策

羊城晚报：您认为本届特朗普政府的施政方式跟他前一个任期相比有什么变化？特朗普有哪些施政方针是可以预测的？

王勇：特朗普2.0与民主党政府有非常大的差异。首先，特朗普更加注重所谓的“美国优先”，这是他的指导思想。这背后，是民粹主义、贸易保护主义和民族主义。在这样的观念驱动下，特朗普的政策会更注重获得实际的经济利益，凡事都可以交易。但他对于过去美国所倡导的自由主义的国际秩序不太在意，会比较忽视意识形态。他上台1个多月以来，这个特点已经表现得比较明显。

第二个影响他施政的因素是他的个人风格。美国当前的权力架构已经发生比较大的变化，可以说是总统一家独大。同时，共和党全面控制美国国会两院，共和党人中很多是他的效忠者。特朗普本人思维跳跃，所以执政风格不可预见性会加剧。

“美国优先”主义、经济民族主义是可以预测的。不可预测的是，在具体政策及其执行上，特朗普有很大的摇摆性与不确定性。

中美贸易关系互利互惠，不存在强买强卖

羊城晚报：中国如何应对来自美国各个领域的施压？

王勇：特朗普2.0时期还是会把中国当作主要的竞争对手。特别是当前美国和中国有3000多亿美元的贸易逆差，特朗普政府认为这对美国非常不利。但实际上，中美之间的贸易关系是互利的，不存在强买强卖。这个贸易过程中，美国其实获得了巨大的利益。但特朗普政府不这样想，他们的思想仍然停留在19世纪以前重商主义的观念之下。

我们未来可能会面临美方持续增加的高关税，美方也可能利用台湾问题、南海问题向中国施压。中国的对策就是坚持原则。中国坚持相互尊重、和平共处、互利共赢，尊重彼此的核心利益。

我认为，中美之间前期摩擦是不可避免的，但未来妥协和合作也是可以达成的。中美作为两个大国，对世界经济起到巨大的作用，两国只能走合作的道路，冲突对抗对双方、对世界都是不利的。

中美之间的民间交流非常重要

羊城晚报：您如何看待中美关系在特朗普第二任期的走势？

王勇：我对中美关系总体保持谨慎乐观态度。尽管特朗普2.0要继续打压中国，但是今天的中国和以前已经不同了，尤其是中国的科技、创新能力、企业的国际竞争力都大大提高，出口对美国市场的依赖程度已大为下降，这使得我们在贸易冲突中有更大的回旋余地。

美国当前最大的问题是对中国的认知出现了很大的偏差。经过一段时间的加征关税或其他冲突后，特朗普有可能安静下来，与中方好好谈一谈。因此，中美关系的前景不是完全悲观的，冲突之后再对话是有可能的。

羊城晚报：您认为在中美大国博弈的大背景下，中美民间交流要怎样保持势头？

王勇：中美之间的民间交流非常重要，可以说和官方交流同等重要。两国人民都非常可爱，小红书的中国网友与美国“TikTok难民”之间的直接交流是不戴有色眼镜、抛弃了意识形态的，可以说小红书为两国民间交流作了很好的示范。民间交流有助于减少政治上的障碍，克服意识形态的偏见。另外，美国人提出了一些问题，比如他们认为在和中国人打交道时遇到一些困难，他们有这种看法，我们也可以研究，帮助消除误会。

文｜记者 付怡 赵鹏 刘泳希
翻译｜曾敏
英文审校｜王枥焓