How Will Trump's Tariffs Affect China?

China recently issued 34% retaliatory tariffs on the US. In response, President Donald Trump has threatened an additional 50% starting on April 9th, unless China reverses their 34% tariff.

Trump's Tariffs Are Good For China: On the left and right, voices noted that Trump's tariffs could be good news for China. A Vox (Left bias) piece pointed out that Trump placed tariffs on many of our Asian allies like Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. These tariffs on our allies could position China to create new alliances in the region. The Wall Street Journal (Lean Right) agreed, adding that China's economy remains in a precarious state, but “Mr. Xi must believe he will have no problem finding other sources for critical imports, especially since the U.S. is punishing the rest of the world with tariffs.”

Tariffs Hurt China: A Townhall (Right) opinion argued that China is dependent on the American economy and that the American economy is dynamic and produces better products. “Their economy—already shaky from demographic decline, spiraling youth unemployment, and crumbling real estate giants—can’t afford a protracted spat with its biggest customer. U.S. consumers are a lifeline to China’s manufacturing sector. Losing us means losing jobs, stability, and, ultimately, the illusion that the Chinese economy is bulletproof. Spoiler: it’s not,” he said. 

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