‘Everything’s on the table’: are the US and China edging toward financial war?

Amjad Ali April 10, 2025

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‘Everything’s on the table’: are the US and China edging toward financial war?

As the trade war between China and the United States continues to escalate, fears are spreading that the conflict may spill over into dangerous new territory: the financial markets.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added to the speculation on Wednesday when he declined to rule out the possibility that Washington may delist Chinese stocks from US exchanges, during an interview on the Fox Business Network.

“I think everything’s on the table,” Bessent said. “That will be President Trump’s decision.”

Meanwhile, commentators have voiced concerns that China could consider dumping its US Treasuries as a retaliatory measure or in an attempt to avoid a US default – a move that could sow chaos in the financial markets.

The US government bond market has seen a sharp sell-off in reaction to US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies over recent days, with some traders raising doubts about the US Treasuries’ status as the world’s safest asset.

We are seeing a classic breakdown of the major monetary, political and geopolitical orders

Yields on 30-year US bonds have surged by about half a percentage point so far this week, with Trump’s abrupt decision to pause the implementation of “reciprocal” tariffs on a string of countries on Wednesday failing to spark a turnaround in the market.

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