US Tariffs Are Making China Great Again
Asian nations will recalibrate partnerships and alliances. Beijing is set to benefit.
Strengthening new alliances.
Photographer: BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images
Be nice to allies, departing US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said, when asked how Washington might beat Beijing in the global game of power. It’s advice Donald Trump should take if America wants to remain relevant in Asia.
For now, Asian nations are falling in line to negotiate their way out of his tariffs. In the long term, they’ll work toward strengthening cooperation with each other. They’ll also weigh the benefits of drifting back toward the superpower that isn’t punishing them with new levies, although China’s expansionist moves in the Indo-Pacific have taken some of the shine off its allure. Washington is missing an opportunity to exploit that regional disquiet over Beijing’s actions.