Chinese tariffs and export control – defense or retaliation?

China’s decision to impose special port fees on ships linked to the U.S. and tighten export controls on rare earth elements signals that global economic rivalry is entering a new phase. For some, it’s a reasonable defensive move – an attempt to secure its own technological and resource interests. For others, it’s a dangerous escalation of the trade war that could hit the entire supply chain of semiconductors and green technologies. Is this the beginning of a new era of protectionism, where the economy becomes a tool of geopolitical struggle? Or is it just a taste of a future, open economic confrontation between East and West? How do you think this economic chess game will end?