, Columnist
Want to Counter China? Stop Tariffing Your Friends
Weaponizing trade.
Photographer: Cheng Xin/Getty Images
In this era of weaponized trade, America’s readiness to impose tariffs on friends and foes alike now barely raises eyebrows, while China’s economic coercion of its neighbors has become almost routine. Left unchecked, this is how international rules-based trade gives way to raw power.
If Washington is serious about countering Beijing’s strong-arm tactics, it should strengthen relationships in Asia, not strain them. Acting together would give them more leverage than they think.