Cuban scholar criticizes U.S. tariff policy as tool for maintaining hegemony

China

Cuban scholar criticizes U.S. tariff policy as tool for maintaining hegemony

2025-05-09 01:00 Last Updated At：02:37

The United States' use of tariffs as a pressure mechanism not only reshapes trade negotiations but also mirrors its efforts to retain global influence amid growing concerns over the dollar's devaluation in international trade, said a Cuban scholar.

The remarks come amid the U.S. administration's recent tariff increases on Caribbean exports. On April 9, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 38 percent tariff on goods exported from Guyana and a 10 percent tariff on exports from other Caribbean nations.

In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on Wednesday, Pavel Aleman, a professor at the University of Havana, emphasized that tariffs would have a significant impact on consumer goods in the Caribbean region, making life more expensive for the residents who rely on imports from the U.S.

"Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will lead to inflation [in the U.S.], which will increase the cost of living, especially of products imported from the United States. This is highly likely to happen. And of course, this will make living costs more expensive for the local (Caribbean) people," he said.

He also noted that the U.S. is leveraging these tariffs to pressure other nations and reinforce its hegemony to safeguard its geopolitical interests.

"I believe that, in some way, the U.S. is transferring part of the burden of its own public debt and conceal the way the dollar has been devalued in international trade, especially the use of the dollar in international trade in recent years. The country uses the increase in tariffs as a pressure mechanism. This then allows it to negotiate bilaterally with other countries and make the requests, which span across various areas, not just trade. In this context, you will realize that the U.S. perceives this region (Caribbean) as their natural geopolitical sphere of influence, and if it was to lose the hegemony over the area, it would automatically decline in the global hierarchy of powers," Aleman said.

ROK president reiterates firm adherence to one-China principle

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that Seoul firmly adheres to the one-China principle, in comments made ahead of his upcoming state visit to China.

The remarks were made in an interview with China Media Group (CMG). The visit is scheduled for Jan 4–7.

"The consensus reached between governments of the Republic of Korea and China when diplomatic relations were established continues to be the fundamental principle governing our relations, and its effectiveness remains steadfast. I want to clearly state that the ROK has always adhered to the one-China principle. Maintaining peace and stability in regional matters, including in Northeast Asia and concerning the Taiwan issue, holds significant importance to us," said Lee.

"The foundational relationship between the ROK and China was established on a very principled and fundamental basis from the beginning. It is clear that the ROK government has always adhered to this position and has never wavered from it. I believe that the sound development of ROK-China relations depends on both sides fully respecting each other's core interests and being mutually tolerant of each other's positions. In this context, we will, as always, uphold the one-China principle as the Taiwan issue is China's most fundamental concern," he said.