When Superpowers Clash, We Feel It Too

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It’s funny, isn’t it? How two men on opposite ends of the world can make a decision and affect the whole world. Tariffs and trade war threats have been dominating the news lately. The US says it’s slapping more tariffs on China. China fires back. It’s easy to scroll past, thinking it’s “boring and not my problem”.

The truth is, this issue affects both me and you, regardless of your location in the world. However, my perspective is limited to my own country. If you live in Malaysia, whether you’re in a kampung or a longhouse, a city condo, or riding the LRT to work, it is your problem.

I’m no expert in global trade or politics. I’m just an ordinary Malaysian of Iban ethnicity, trying to make sense of how all this noise in the headlines ends up affecting people like us. What I’m writing here comes from my own shallow understanding. But it’s my opinion and deserves a place in the conversation too.

Malaysia trades with both China and the US. When the US slaps China with high tariffs, Chinese companies may look for cheaper supplies or partners. They could turn to smaller nations like Malaysia. It seems like an opportunity but if the US suspects Malaysia is helping China “bypass” tariffs, we might get punished too. The rules keep changing and things are so uncertain right now.

And let’s discuss the costs of things, which may go up. Costs trickle down. I’m not too concerned about basic necessities (for now), but what about machines and auto parts? My car repairs might cost double. I drive an old car, which is more likely to break down frequently compared to a new one. And what about medical costs? Will they go up too because our medicines are mostly imported?

Malaysia is part of global supply chains, especially in tech. For example, if a Malaysian company makes parts that go into Chinese products and China can’t sell those products to the US anymore, Malaysia’s economy also takes a hit. It’s a domino effect. We’d probably experience less overtime, fewer shifts, or, worse, layoffs.

When the global economy is shaky, investors pull back. Foreign companies that were thinking of setting up shop in Malaysia might delay or cancel. That means fewer new jobs, less innovation, and slower economic growth. Even local businesses hesitate to expand or hire, unsure of what’s coming next.

As you can see, this trade war is about us too. It’s not just about two bickering giants.

And what’s the price of pride and power?

You pay it in whatever your country’s currency is. For me, it’s in Ringgit and daily worries that don’t make headlines.

But Malaysia (and other ASEAN countries) isn’t staying silent. It was recently announced that we’re planning a diplomatic mission to the US to talk things through. We don’t want to retaliate because we are tiny and want to play nice. We want to negotiate and protect our trade and, hopefully, our people. The date hasn’t been confirmed, but even that small step means we’re not just drifting in someone else’s storm.

The world is full of giants. As a small nation, we don’t have the means to fight with fists. We are trying to survive with grace and hold steady like a boat in choppy waters. Our sails may be torn and our oars weathered but we are still floating and moving because people’s lives are worth the journey.

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That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! I'm a non-native English speaker, and English is my third language. Post ideas and content are originally mine.

Note: If you decide to run my content on an AI detector, remember that no detectors are 100% reliable, no matter what their accuracy scores claim. And know that AI detectors are biased against non-native English writers.

Note: All images used belong to me unless stated otherwise.

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