OPINION:
China President Xi Jinping said during a New Year’s address that the communist country’s economy faces some “challenges of uncertainties” in 2025, due in large part to Donald Trump’s incoming presidency.
Whenever a communist quivers, the free world can breathe a bit easier.
Xi’s worries signal good news for America because it means he understands that the Trump administration isn’t going to be so soft and lovey with the Chinese Communist Party. It means the Joe Biden days of coddling-at-all-costs and playing nice with China in hopes of pacifying China are soon ending. In the larger context, it means that America is just days away from getting back on the world stage as a serious contender — as the A-No. 1 — as the leader of global markets and global governments and global affairs once again.
Jan. 20th can’t come fast enough.
“The Chinese economy faces some new conditions,” Xi said, The Wall Street Journal reported, “including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones.” Specifically, he referenced China’s need to shift reliance on international markets.
Yes. That’s ‘cause Trump has already put out the word he’s going to change how America does business — more tariffs via executive order, with an immediate 10 percent smack on goods from China. The usual wailers have already started their wailing.
“Trump’s Tariffs Would Raise Prices, Harm U.S. Workers,” the Center for American Progress wrote.
“For the U.S. and its trading partners, Trump’s tariff threats poses a slew of economic, strategic and institutional risks,” Brookings wrote.
Of note, these groups are left-of-center; that they criticize Trump’s announced tariffs — not just on China, but on Mexico and Canada, too — is almost as good news as the criticisms from the communists. What’s bad for far leftists is great for patriotic Americans, dontcha know.
And as The Associated Press wrote, “Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy.” The second part of that headline cautioned — “but this time could be different.” Of course. Gotta keep the flames of dissent a’ flame. But the bigger takeaway from AP is that those who decry taking on China with direct hits on that country’s economy are drumming up fears that are based on false narratives.
It makes sense for America to go after China — economically, militarily, culturally, politically, globally. If America wants to be the world leader, America must strike back at China’s growing might.
“Trump loved to use tariffs on foreign goods during his first presidency,” AP wrote. “But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy. … The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared.”
Well, factory jobs in America are hard to come by when all the factories have been closed and the manufacturing operations shipped to, oh, let’s see now — China. But at least Trump was making the call for a return to U.S. dominance in the production sector. At least he was making moves toward that end.
Team Biden — as with Team Barack Obama — did little to nothing to shut down China’s growing economic influences, but rather opened doors wider for the country’s communists to grow their revenues and exert influences around the world. Can you say green agendas? Can you say environmental regulations? How about climate change?
Trump’s promised tariffs may not magically return the manufacturing sector to America overnight. They may not flip the switch on America’s bloated consumerism into productivity.
But they will send an “America First” message to those nations, particularly China, that have grown their economies at America’s expense — literally and figuratively. The more America has moved away from manufacturing, the more America has harmed its economy, its national security, its sovereignty.
Four years isn’t enough time to win all that back.
But four years is enough time to send a message that America wants all that back.
Four years is enough time to demand the respect from other nations that America lost under the Biden administration.
Xi is concerned.
Xi is worried about the “uncertainties” of Trump’s economic and political plans.
That’s great news. The growth in respect for America has already begun. And Trump hasn’t even been sworn in, yet.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.
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