{"id":2424429,"date":"2025-04-16T18:56:57","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-admin-preparing-to-unleash-a-new-economic-weapon-that-could-devastate-china-report\/"},"modified":"2025-04-16T18:59:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:59:02","slug":"trump-admin-preparing-to-unleash-a-new-economic-weapon-that-could-devastate-china-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-admin-preparing-to-unleash-a-new-economic-weapon-that-could-devastate-china-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Admin Preparing to Unleash a New Economic Weapon That Could Devastate China: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-admin-preparing-to-unleash-a-new-economic-weapon-that-could-devastate-china-report%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2424429&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses President Donald Trump&#8217;s trade policies concerning China, highlighting that his administration&#8217;s tariff strategy appears too be a calculated economic weapon directed at isolating China. Despite a recent declaration of a temporary tariff pause for some nations engaging in trade negotiations with the U.S.,China was notably excluded and subjected to higher tariffs.The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump intends to leverage negotiations with over 70 countries to encourage them to limit China&#8217;s shipping and investments while rebuffing its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-critics-only-oppose-his-tariffs-because-they-oppose-him\/\" title=\"...s Critics Only Oppose His Tariffs Because They Oppose Him\">low-cost goods<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent played a role in shaping this strategy, suggesting it to Trump shortly before the tariff pause announcement. Notably, ancient context is introduced, emphasizing how China\u2019s past experiences with colonial exploitation may influence its response to U.S. pressure. The article concludes that, while there are risks and uncertainties in this approach, Trump&#8217;s focus on China could be a pivotal step in altering U.S.-China trade dynamics, underlining the complexity of international negotiations and the historical legacies that shape them.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump faces a tricky adversary when it comes to Beijing, but the policies he has adopted have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/starting-pistol-supreme-courts-new-firearms-standard-tested-on-domestic-abusers-owning-guns\/\" title=\"Supreme Court tests new gun ownership standard for domestic abusers.\">strong historical evidence<\/a> to support them.<\/p>\n<p>According to a report published Tuesday by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/policy\/u-s-plans-to-use-tariff-negotiations-to-isolate-china-177d1528?st=PY6fG2&amp;reflink=desktopweb_permalink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>, Trump&rsquo;s broader tariff strategy might now have morphed into a China-focused economic weapon.<\/p>\n<p>Or has the president had China in mind from the beginning?<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for countries that had indicated an interest in negotiating trade deals with the U.S. But he excluded China from the pause and even saddled that nation with a higher punitive tariff.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the establishment media framed the pause as a Trump backing down. But the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/revealed-finally-know-trumps-4d-tariff-chess-plan-will-crush-chinas-head-already-brought-europe-knees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China<\/a> exception hinted at a deeper strategy.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Now, the Journal has reported that the Trump administration will use tariff negotiations to further cripple its Asian rival.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The idea is to extract commitments from U.S. trading partners to isolate China&rsquo;s economy in exchange for reductions in trade and tariff barriers imposed by the White House,&rdquo; the Journal article stated.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;U.S. officials plan to use negotiations with more than 70 nations to ask them to disallow China to ship goods through their countries, prevent Chinese firms from locating in their territories to avoid U.S. tariffs, and not absorb China&rsquo;s cheap industrial goods into their economies.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Treasury Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/alert-armed-man-arrested-capitol-planned-kill-nazis-hegseth-mike-johnson-scott-bessent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scott Bessent<\/a> has taken the lead.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, according to the Journal, Bessent broached the idea to Trump on April 6 at the president&rsquo;s estate at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. Trump announced the 90-day pause three days later.<\/p>\n<p>Bessent&rsquo;s suggestion, therefore, preceded the pause. One wonders, therefore, if it also contributed to it.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, whether Bessent planted a new idea, or whether Trump has had this China-focused strategy in mind all along, one must concede that the Journal quoted exclusively anonymous sources, noting that the &ldquo;White House and Treasury didn&rsquo;t respond to requests for comment.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>On one hand, of course, that should not surprise us. After all, it hardly makes sense to publicly reveal one&rsquo;s negotiating strategy in advance. Let the Chinese read such stories from anonymous sources, and, whether true or not, let those stories prod Chinese officials to the bargaining table if possible.<\/p>\n<p>That does, however, introduce the aforementioned &ldquo;tricky&rdquo; element.<\/p>\n<p>In short, economists may take one view based on data-driven models and such, but historians take a different view.<\/p>\n<p>To begin, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">modern history represents<\/a> the outlier, for China long remained isolated from most of the world. Moreover, since 1949, the current communist regime has shown no qualms about impoverishing and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/bill-maher-compares-woke-mob-enforcers-maos-cultural-revolution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">terrorizing<\/a> its own people.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the Chinese have long memories. They know, for instance, that in the 19th century the British Empire effectively forced open their markets by getting millions of Chinese addicted to opium (historically speaking, Americans do not hold an exclusive, fentanyl-related moral high ground).<\/p>\n<p>A series of disastrous wars and unequal treaties followed, as other Western predators took their own spoils, deepening China&rsquo;s humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>With that background, the Chinese government, cognizant of history, will not necessarily bend to the pressures Westerners expect.<\/p>\n<p>That does not mean that Trump has adopted the wrong policy. But it does mean that the president would do well to temper expectations regarding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-reacts-chinas-hollywood-boycott-witty-one-liner-hollywood-wont-happy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China<\/a>. The U.S. unquestionably will thrive without an influx of Chinese goods produced by cheap labor. The Chinese government, however, will not necessarily bargain in order to avoid that outcome.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump continues to show that he understands both history and America&rsquo;s interests better than his political opponents.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The ball is in China&rsquo;s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don&rsquo;t have to make a deal with them. China wants what we have &hellip; the American consumer,&rdquo; Trump said last week in a statement, read by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing, according to the Journal.<\/p>\n<p>That demonstrates precisely the correct view of things.<\/p>\n<p>After all, American statesmen since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/senate-rinos-turn-trump-undo-key-policy-republican-colleague-points-obvious\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Madison<\/a> have argued precisely the same thing. Free trade remains the ideal, but if nations refuse to adopt reciprocal trade policies, if they abuse or otherwise take advantage of Americans, then Americans have no obligation to give those nations unfettered access to the vast American market. To do so, in fact, would qualify as suicide.<\/p>\n<p>In sum, a China-focused strategy might not yield entirely the results that some in Trump&rsquo;s administration expect, but even if it&rsquo;s only partially successful, it could change the game of U.S.-China trade relations.<\/p>\n<p>And either way, the president&rsquo;s broader tariff policy represents one of wisest and most promising measures any U.S. statesman has ever pursued.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Donald Trump encounters a challenging opponent in Beijing, yet the policies he has implemented are backed by substantial historical evidence. A report from The Wall Street Journal indicates that Trump&#8217;s overall tariff strategy may have evolved into an economic tool specifically targeting China. Alternatively, it raises the question of whether he has always intended to focus on China. Last week, Trump announced a 90-day suspension of tariffs for countries interested in negotiating trade agreements with the U.S., but notably excluded China and imposed higher punitive tariffs on it instead. While mainstream media portrayed this pause as a retreat by Trump, the exclusion of China suggests a more intricate strategy at play.<\/p>\n<p>The Journal further reports that the Trump administration plans to leverage tariff negotiations to weaken its Asian competitor. The article states that U.S. officials aim to secure commitments from over 70 nations to isolate China&#8217;s economy in exchange for easing trade and tariff restrictions imposed by Washington. This includes preventing Chinese goods from transiting through their countries and discouraging Chinese companies from establishing operations there.<\/p>\n<p>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly leading this initiative; he first proposed this idea to Trump during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago on April 6, just days before the announcement of the tariff pause. Whether Bessent&#8217;s suggestion influenced Trump&#8217;s decision remains uncertain, especially since both the White House and Treasury declined to comment when approached by reporters.<\/p>\n<p>While economists may analyze these developments through data-driven models, historians offer different perspectives\u2014especially considering China&#8217;s long history of isolation and its current regime&#8217;s willingness to oppress its citizens since 1949. The Chinese government is acutely aware of historical grievances stemming from foreign exploitation in past centuries, which may affect their response to Western pressures.<\/p>\n<p>Trump appears cognizant of both history and American interests better than his political rivals; he recently stated that &#8220;the ball is in China&#8217;s court,&#8221; emphasizing that America does not need an agreement with them as much as they need access to American consumers.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, while a strategy focused on China might not achieve all desired outcomes within Trump&#8217;s administration, even partial success could significantly alter U.S.-China trade dynamics. Overall, his broader tariff policy represents one of the most astute measures any U.S. leader has undertaken<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2424430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/trump-sbs-xi-for-april-16-2025.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[36906,38511,32640],"class_list":["post-2424429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-china-relations","tag-economic-strategy","tag-trump-administration"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/trump-sbs-xi-for-april-16-2025.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2424429"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2424433,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424429\/revisions\/2424433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2424430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2424429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2424429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2424429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}