China and the United States are recognized as two of the most powerful nations in the world. Historically, China was once an ally of the United States; however, since 1979, the dynamic between the two countries has shifted significantly. While the countries maintain a level of civility, tension still exists in their relationship.
In 2016, Trump threatened to target American companies operating in China. In recent years, these tensions have risen. On March 22, 2018, President Trump imposed tariffs on China’s steel and aluminum imports. These tariffs amounted to approximately $500 billion, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. In retaliation, China implemented restrictions on the number of goods it exports to the United States. In July of 2018, tensions escalated in the trade war between the two countries as China implemented tariffs on U.S. goods.
On August 15, 2019, the U.S. designated China as a currency manipulator, citing the central bank’s decision to allow the yuan to weaken. This was followed by a speech by Trump, after which Beijing cautioned the U.S. that such a designation could “trigger financial market turmoil.”
Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out worldwide, both countries blamed the other for the outbreak. A member of the Chinese ministry told the press that the U.S. military brought the virus to their country. Trump kept referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus.”
On July 13, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a speech declaring that “the era of engagement with the Chinese Communist Party is over, condemning its unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and aggressive moves in the East and South China Seas.”
On Trump’s last day of office in 2020, Pompeo spoke out against the inhumane crimes China was committing against Uyghur Muslims. The Chinese Government was quick to deny the genocide, but when Joe Biden took office, he banned all imports from Xinjiang. In 2022, former President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping worked together to rebuild trust.
In recent days, China has expressed its preparedness for any form of confrontation with the United States, as reported by the BBC. Since Trump has been back in office, he has lost respect and trust between the U.S. and China by placing more tariffs on the other country’s imports.
“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” China’s embassy said on the social media platform X.
