Trump’s Turn Inward Leaves the Field Open to Beijing

In response to America's autarkic turn, China is now positioning itself as the defender of free trade. America’s perceived unpredictability has created a vacuum in which China, despite longstanding concerns over practices such as intellectual property violations and trade imbalances, now appears comparatively more stable. And rather than accede to Trump's demand to "call him" and negotiate a deal after being hit with 145% U.S. tariffs, China has imposed 125% counter tariffs and sought alternative trading partners. For example, as of March 2025, China is importing a record amount of oil from Canada, amid a roughly 90% cut in Chinese oil imports from the United States. Chinese oil imports from Canada rose to 7.3 million barrels in March.