If We Want to Beat China, We Need a Smarter Plan Than Just Tariffs. A lot of Americans are frustrated with China — and for good reason. I am frustrated with China. They cheat on trade, steal technology, and undercut American workers. People want a president who stands up for the United States and doesn’t let China push us around. That instinct is right. But the way we fight back matters. Tariffs sound tough. They feel like we’re finally punching back. But here’s the truth most politicians won’t say out loud: Tariffs don’t make China pay. They make us pay. And they make China stronger in the long run. Here lies a major problem: our government is not being honest with us.

If we want to beat China — really beat them — we need a strategy that actually helps American workers instead of accidentally or intentionally helping Beijing. Let’s break it down in plain English. Tariffs Are Basically a Tax on Americans. When the U.S. puts a tariff on something coming from China, the Chinese company doesn’t pay it. The American importer pays it. Then that cost gets passed on to you. That’s why prices go up on cars, appliances, tools, electronics, clothing, building materials, and much more. It’s not China paying more. It’s you paying more, but we are being led to believe that tariffs will bring prices down, that they are bringing prices down.  Economists estimate tariffs cost American families over a thousand dollars a year. That’s not “tough on China.” That’s tough on your wallet, and after all the supply train issues after Covid, our wallets were already hurting.

Tariffs Hit American Workers Too. This part surprises people, but it’s true. A lot of American factories rely on parts from other countries — including China. When tariffs raise the price of those parts, American companies get squeezed. They either raise prices, cut jobs, or move production overseas. None of that helps American workers. Tariffs in the long run cost us more jobs than they will create. And when other countries hit back with their own tariffs, they go straight for our farmers. China has targeted soybeans, pork, dairy, and corn. Farmers lose sales. Prices drop. And then the government has to step in with subsidies to keep them afloat. That’s not winning. That’s patching holes in a boat we drilled ourselves.

Meanwhile, China Uses Our Tariffs to Its Advantage. Here’s the part nobody talks about. When the U.S. slaps tariffs on everyone — not just China, but also Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan — it sends a message that America is unpredictable. Countries don’t know if we’ll hit them with tariffs next. So, what do they do? They hedge their bets. They start doing more business with China. China steps in and says, “We’ll buy your crops.” “We’ll build your roads.” “We’ll sign long-term deals.” And countries take the offer — not because they love China, but because they don’t want to get caught in the crossfire of U.S. tariff threats. Every time we push our allies away, China pulls them closer. We have seen that time and time again.

China Loves When We Go It Alone. China’s biggest fear is a united group of countries standing together. China’s biggest dream is America fighting with its own allies. Tariffs on friends — not just enemies — do exactly that. If we want to beat China, we need strong alliances, reliable partnerships, and a united front on technology and manufacturing. China can’t beat a team of the U.S., Europe, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, and Australia working together. But if America isolates itself with constant tariff threats, China gets exactly what it wants. As China builds better trading partnerships with other countries because of our tariffs, it will make it that much harder to get other countries' trust.

There’s a Better Way to Be Tough on China. Being tough on China doesn’t mean taxing Americans. It means outsmarting China. A real strategy would bring manufacturing back with incentives, not higher costs, work with allies to block China from stealing technology, and build supply chains that don’t depend on Beijing. Developing new products and new technologies will create more jobs than trying to force manufacturing jobs back home. We must target China, where it’s actually vulnerable — in high-tech sectors. That’s how you win a long-term competition. Tariffs alone won’t do it. Tariffs without a plan actually help China.
The Bottom Line is if the goal is to beat China — and it should be — we need to use our brains, not just our fists. Tariffs feel good. They sound tough. But they don’t work the way people think. They raise prices on Americans. They hurt American workers. They push our allies away. And they give China openings it could never create on its own. Strength isn’t about shouting. Strength is about strategy. If we want America to stay the world’s leader, we need a plan that actually makes us stronger — not one that accidentally helps the very country we’re trying to beat.