As the trade war between the United States and China intensifies, Beijing seems ready to use any means necessary to prolong the fight rather than concede.
For years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used propaganda to influence public opinion both domestically and internationally. It’s now deploying the same tactic to shape public perception about Trump’s tariffs.
Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary said in a recent congressional hearing that the CCP is behind a wave of AI-generated videos spreading anti-American propaganda.
The videos, which began circulating shortly after Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, show overweight Americans hunched over sewing machines, with scenes of Trump and his Republican allies slowly stitching fabric, and billionaire Elon Musk assembling iPhones on an assembly line.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to these videos this week, saying, “Whoever made it clearly does not see the potential of the American worker, the American workforce.”
Beyond propaganda, the Chinese regime also uses its longstanding tactic of pressuring American companies to act as intermediaries.
On April 6, Ji Ling, Chinese vice minister of commerce, held a roundtable meeting with representatives from U.S. companies, including Tesla and GE HealthCare. During this meeting, Ji issued a subtle warning, urging U.S. firms to support efforts to influence Washington or face consequences such as retaliatory tariffs and export restrictions.
China is also doubling down on export controls for critical rare earth elements—a sector it dominates globally. These minerals are vital for a range of critical industries, making the United States particularly vulnerable.
CCP has turned this dominance into a strategic weapon against other countries in recent years.
“That’s a pretty serious vulnerability,” said Robert Atkinson, president of the ITIF, a science and technology think tank. He predicted that Beijing would play this card extensively during the trade war against the United States.
Recently, Beijing has also mounted a charm offensive to strengthen ties with U.S. allies in an attempt to isolate the United States.
In his recent trip to Vietnam, one of America’s largest trading partners, Chinese leader Xi Jinping sought to promote China as a stable trading partner, urged the country to resist “unilateral bullying.”
On April 11, Xi also hosted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Beijing and urged that China and the European Union work together to protect globalization.
In response to new U.S. tariffs, China is expected to turn again to currency devaluation and massive subsidies to cushion the economic blow.
By weakening the yuan against the U.S. dollar, Beijing makes Chinese goods cheaper and more attractive on the global market. The Communist regime also supports domestic companies with a wide range of subsidies, from direct grants and tax breaks to low-cost financing, land, energy, and other essential inputs.
Even if Beijing returns to the negotiating table, it remains unwilling to address these core issues raised by Washington, Atkinson said.
Ultimately, China appears determined to preserve its mercantilist trade practices. But this time, Trump may be taking a harder line.
–Emel Akan
BOOKMARKS
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the spike in autism rates is likely due to environmental factors, naming medicines, mold, air quality, or increased age of parents as possible culprits. Kennedy rejected genetics as the chief factor and said new, groundbreaking studies on the causes of autism will be released in two to three weeks.
Donald Trump is asking foreign nations to curtail their trade and economic ties with China in exchange for lower tariffs, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Trump’s administration is also asking U.S. trading partners to close loopholes used by China—like altering and reshipping products from third-party countries—that allow that nation to avoid U.S. tariffs, which have risen to 245 percent on some goods.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his state is suing the Trump administration to block its tariffs, saying the levies will disproportionately affect its agriculture and manufacturing sectors. “No state is poised to lose more than the state of California,” Newsom said during a press conference on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued an opinion on Wednesday saying he has found probable cause that the Trump administration is in contempt of court by not complying with his order to halt deportations using the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg said he will “purge” the contempt finding if the government cooperates with his order, otherwise the court will “proceed to identify the individual(s) responsible” for disobeying it.
Ukraine’s Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has voted 357–1 to extend martial law in that country, pushing its election cycle back till at least August. This means Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—and the members of parliament—will remain in office unchallenged for a bit longer.
—Stacy Robinson
