Signal China's 2025 white papers draw red lines and frame the conflict as a set of wars

Summary

In an April 2025 white paper on US-China economic and trade relations, China's State Council Information Office accused the US of using a position of strength to infringe four red lines: Taiwan, democracy and human rights, China's political system and its right to development. The white paper blamed Washington for the trade war, defended the multilateral trading system and emphasised the damage a new trade war would do to the world economy and to the US itself. A May 2025 white paper on national security went further, describing tariff, trade, technology and public-opinion wars waged against China in the name of national security. Beijing declares that defending its right to development is a national security red line and that it will respond firmly to any attempt to undermine it. At the same time, it says cooperation with the US is still needed on market order, trade rules and managing risks from new technologies such as AI, biotechnology and quantum computing.