US Trade Policies Reach a Crucial Moment Amidst Rising Tensions with China.
President Donald Trump has paused most of America’s largest tariff increases on virtually every country, except for one: China. On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it will apply a staggering 145% tariff to Chinese exports, marking a significant escalation in trade tensions between the two nations.
The pause is part of a broader strategy to sever ties with China and promote a distinctly American-led trade system. This move marks a crucial shift as the US economic decoupling from China appears to be underway.
A recent Senate hearing featuring a Facebook whistleblower shed light on the need for drastic changes in US-China relations. Sarah Wynn-Williams, who worked at Facebook from 2011 to 2017, claimed that the company repeatedly undermined US national security and betrayed American values by collaborating with the Chinese government.
The hearing revealed that Meta’s artificial intelligence model was shared with a Chinese company, and Facebook censored anti-Chinese Communist Party posts. This raises concerns about the compatibility of Western values with China’s authoritarian regime.
As trade tensions rise, it becomes clear that liberalizing relations between China and the West has not led to more freedom but rather allowed China to develop sophisticated tools for tyranny. The world is now witnessing a fierce competition between two great powers, with the US carving out a distinctly American-led trade system to counter China’s influence.
In stark contrast, the Biden administration has adopted a dead reckoning approach that has led to cultural, economic, and geopolitical oblivion. The current trade disruption can be seen as a rejection of shameful kowtowing to a communist regime and a desire for a national reset at a higher level.
The US must change its business model with China to avoid conflict and ensure long-term survival. Allies must also adapt to this new reality, and it is President Trump’s trade gamesmanship that may hold the key to escaping the consequences of America’s current policies.
Source: https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/04/10/heres-why-the-great-decoupling-from-china-is-long-overdue