Editor's note: With a doctoral degree in communications from the Communication University of China, Dr. Summer has been working in the field of international journalism for 30 years. The article reflects the author's opinion and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

U.S. President Donald Trump revealed his "sign the deal or get killed" tactic for the on-going trade disputes between Washington and Beijing during his recent interview with Fox News aired on May 19.

He said any agreement with China cannot be a "50-50" deal and had to be more in favor of the United States. Trump believed that his new tariffs on Chinese products would force China to the deal "because they're getting killed with the tariffs, China's getting totally killed."

This "sign or kill" tactic reflects Trump's true color: he is not looking for a fair solution but U.S. dominance when dealing with other countries under the slogan of "America First".

Take the U.S.-China trade disputes as an example; the issues popped up over the years as some U.S. companies moved their factories to China for cheaper labors and raw materials.

When their products labeled as "Made in China" are shipped back to the U.S., the U.S. Customs records them as imports from China, contributing to the trade deficit in favor of China.

Media reports that the U.S. is considering sanctions on Chinese video surveillance companies including Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. May 22, 2019. Photo: VCG

 
Instead of addressing the deficit issue by its root causes, some U.S. politicians have focused on the symptoms by blaming China for dumping cheap goods to the U.S., for manipulating the currency to increase Chinese exports to the U.S., and for stealing American workers' jobs, and list goes on and on to fit in the occasion of their needs.

However, the countermeasures imposed by the U.S. side have so far failed to change the situation. Why? Because Washington has always tried to solve the problems from its own perspective.

Unfortunately, President Trump has taken an even more extremely unilateral stance by claiming "American First" while ignoring the basic principle of reaching a fair settlement of disputes via negotiations. This has further worsened the situation.

For example, the U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods "are causing companies to move production out of China to Vietnam and other countries in Asia", according to President Trump, but instead of solving the U.S. deficits with China, the tariffs will shift the deficits to Vietnam and other countries in due time.

There's no doubt that the United States is the sole superpower in the world today. Trump is trying to take advantage of America's superpower status to force other countries into compliance with America's interests.

But power politics and unilateralism run counter to the trend of today's world, which calls for globalization and cooperation to solve global issues such as climate changes, security, and common development.

If the U.S. does not change its attitude, the prolonged trade conflicts between China and the United States will not only harm the economies of the two countries but also negatively affect global development.

During the process, "America First" could become "America Alone" - a lonely loser in a globalized world.