Is Donald Trump making China great, not America?

Donald Trump may just be making a country great again, but it’s not America. It’s China. Trump’s tariff wars were meant to put America first. But in reality, they may be pushing U.S. allies away and strengthening China’s hand. 

From sidelining Taiwan to sparing Beijing in trade battles, Trump’s policies risk making China great, not America.

Trump Hurting Allies Not China

By stacking tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner, Trump has inadvertently handed Beijing the economic upper hand. Western allies such as India, South Korea, Japan, and even European partners have borne the brunt of punitive duties while China escapes largely unscathed.

Taiwan Left Isolated

More troubling, the president has bypassed long-standing U.S. policy by sidelining human-rights concerns and soft-pedaling on critical issues like Taiwan. In fact, Trump slapped new tariffs on Taiwan and even barred its leader from a customary U.S. stopover deliberately avoiding any action that could offend Beijing.

Bypassing Human Rights Concerns

For decades, U.S. policy has stressed democracy and human rights in its Asia strategy. Trump, however, has muted such concerns, removing an important pressure point on China.

Strategic Advantage For China

These measures are not just economic missteps, they’re geopolitical miscalculations. By targeting U.S. allies and sparing China, Trump is weakening America’s strategic position in Asia. Countries once aligned in balancing Chinese influence may now find themselves falling deeper under its sway.

Diplomatic Fallout For The U.S.

In effect, while the slogan promises greatness for the U.S., the outcome suggests otherwise. Trump's tariff wars are forging a stronger China with economic leverage, diplomatic gains, and goodwill, while America’s friends grow distant and looking for new friends other than the US.