The Economist.
Hello, David here.
You're about to hear a conversation we recorded on April the 4th,
soon after Donald Trump announced his Liberation Day tariffs.
Since then, markets around the world have plunged.
And on April the 7th, Mr. Trump threatened a further 50% tariffs on China,
accusing Chinese leaders of panicking.
But China is signaling defiance, promising to fight to the end.
Here is our report from Beijing on China's mood as it went into this trade war
and about how it's been preparing for Donald Trump's return.
Every spring, Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist's editor-in-chief,
takes a team to China to attend a big conference on the Chinese economy, the China Development Forum.
It's an opportunity to gauge the mood in Beijing and the ebbs and flows of US-China relations.
And this year's visit came at a time of massive global unrest.
There has not been a single day this bad on the markets...
Around the world are reeling governments are in their war rooms...
Chances of a global recession now are up to 60%.
I think it’s going very well...
Trump is now threatening an additional 50% tariffs on China...
Premier Li Qiang called on business leaders