How Can China Deal With Trump’s Threatened Tariffs?

President-elect Donald Trump threatened additional tariffs on China, which has sparked a variety of media narratives about how China could push back.

From the Left: An analysis from Ana Swanson of The New York Times (Lean Left bias) warned that Chinese companies have found ways around U.S. tariffs in the past and could again. Swanson explained that “Chinese companies have found footholds abroad that allow them to bypass trade barriers with the United States,” citing operations companies have moved to Southeast Asian or African nations that enjoy better trade relations with the U.S. 

From the Center: An opinion published by the Chinese publication South China Morning Post (Center bias) described Trump’s tariff threats on China as “more dangerous than he thinks,” citing China’s recent hardening stance against the U.S. and strengthening of its allies globally. A December 17 analysis from Foreign Affairs (Center bias) highlighted that China’s share of the global GDP is shrinking and that its domestic consumption is not enough for its production, meaning it relies on exports for economic growth.

From the Right: AllSides did not find recent original analysis from the right, though outlets like Townhall (Right bias) and Newsmax (Right bias) authored original coverage that highlighted a December 29 analysis from The Wall Street Journal (Center bias) which suggested Chinese efforts to counter Trump’s tariffs could backfire. The Journal prominently argued that “the big danger is that taking shots at Western companies and restricting exports of critical minerals and other essentials” as it would encourage the U.S. and Western partners to disintegrate their economies from China’s.