Washington: In imposing global tariffs, President Donald Trump has pledged to reshape the world to benefit American workers. However, one unintended beneficiary could be the country he views as the primary adversary—China.
Asia’s largest economy swiftly responded by imposing identical tariffs on the United States and announced plans to implement export controls on rare earth elements, which are crucial for consumer and medical technologies.
Unlike during his first term, this time Trump is targeting not just China but the entire world—including American allies that had increasingly aligned with Washington’s tough stance on Beijing.
Just days before Trump’s "Liberation Day" tariffs announcement, China took steps to revive stalled free-trade talks with Japan and South Korea, both treaty-bound U.S. allies with longstanding skepticism toward Beijing.
"If Trump’s unilateralism continues, I expect Beijing to court these capitals more aggressively, positioning itself as the steadier economic anchor in the region," said Lizzi Lee, a fellow on the Chinese economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis.
"And let’s not forget the optics. China is very much framing Trump’s tariffs as proof of U.S. decline—resorting to protectionism, bullying allies, and retreating from global norms," she added.
Yun Sun, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, noted that she had expected China to be "a little more chill" in response to Trump’s tariffs but observed that Beijing did not seem as concerned as during his first term.
"I think the Chinese see this more as an opportunity and believe the U.S. is actively undermining itself," she said.
"There are a number of aggrieved parties that had been solid and loyal allies of the U.S.," she continued. "Now their confidence in the approach that the U.S. is taking around the world is—I wouldn’t say shattered—but at least in doubt."
Burying the U.S. Opening to China
China will undoubtedly feel the impact of the U.S. tariffs. Last year, it shipped over $500 billion in goods to the United States, with the trade balance heavily in China’s favor.
Critics of China have welcomed what they see as the end of a near-consensus in Washington on the value of integrating China into the global economy.
"The idea that Communist China could be a responsible member of an international trade regime—the World Trade Organization—which should be premised on equal and fair trade, is a joke," said Representative Chris Smith, a Republican who has long opposed Bill Clinton’s 1994 decision to delink China’s trading privileges from human rights.
"Unlike previous presidents, President Trump fully understands the nature and scope of the problem—and the existential threat posed by China—and what needs to be done," Smith added.
Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, pointed out that China still faces numerous issues with other countries, from territorial disputes with Japan, India, and Southeast Asia to European concerns over China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war.
"China has been adept at undermining its own positions, especially with its neighbors, through assertiveness and even aggression," Stokes said.
Attention Shifts from China
Stokes noted that former President Joe Biden had been effective in forming coalitions with other countries to pressure China on issues ranging from access to fifth-generation internet networks to security.
"To the extent that Beijing was feeling a little bit isolated at the end of the Biden administration, I think that a lot of that pressure has come off as the locus of disruption is now clearly Washington," Stokes said.
While both Trump and Biden policymakers have identified China as the top U.S. rival, Lee of the Asia Society Policy Institute said Trump fundamentally views President Xi Jinping "not as a villain, but as a peer—another strongman."
"For Trump, economic war isn’t about economics or even the stock markets—it’s about the optics of domination and strength," Lee said.
"And that leaves just enough room for a pivot—if Xi offers the kind of win Trump can brand."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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