“Biden is a China appeaser and no amount of recasting to fit the current political winds can change that.”

The 2016 election marked a substantial shift in America’s attitude on China. President Trump zeroed in on the “People’s” Republic as the principal economic threat to the United States, blasting his opponents along the way. His victory clued us into just how potent a hawkish approach to China could be: sweeping the rust belt and forging a historic electoral realignment. 

Four years later, Americans are now in lockstep with the President in their skepticism of China. 73% of Americans hold an unfavorable opinion of China, ballooning from 47% just four years ago. To be sure, a portion of this should be chalked up to China’s catastrophic deception on COVID-19 but the trend notably began before the crisis.

President Trump’s rhetoric and record on China demonstrate a radical departure from the Washington consensus. He has characterized China as a “threat to the world,” and substantively backed it up. He imposed tariffs on two-thirds of Chinese goods, labeled China a currency manipulator, commissioned investigations of China’s practices, and began negotiations to redefine the trading relationship. 

His hardline strategy and pro-growth policies have produced results.

This article was sourced from LegalInsurrection