News from this week makes clear that Trump has no clear strategy on China. He not only got played by China on trade, but jobs are not coming back as he promised and his inconsistency puts our national security at risk and could cause irreversible damage.

Trump said he’d stand up to China, but during his presidency China has felt they could get away with whatever they wanted.

Los Angeles Times: “During Trump’s presidency, China has furthered its incursion into the disputed South China Sea, given little in trade deals despite U.S. tariffs that have boomeranged on American farmers, cracked down on democracy activists in Hong Kong and put religious minorities in concentration camps in Xinjiang, all with little resistance.”

Trump got played — China isn’t living up to its meager phase one purchase commitments or its promises on intellectual property theft. 

Bloomberg: “By the end of the first half of this year, China had bought about 23% of the total purchase target of more than $170 billion for goods in 2020, according to Bloomberg calculations based on Chinese Customs Administration data.”

ABC News: “More than 50% of the nation’s counterfeit COVID-19 goods found since ‘Operation Stolen Promise’ was launched 100 days ago came from China, according to Homeland Security Investigations, an arm U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

Trump’s reckless tariffs did not have the intended effect and cost American jobs, and fewer Americans now see the U.S. ahead of China economically.

Associated Press: “Chinese purchases of American farm goods, semiconductors and other goods declined 11.4% last year but still exceeded $100 billion. Exports to China support just under 1 million American jobs, according to the U.S.-China Business Council, though that was down 10% from 2017’s peak.”

Pew Research: “While more Americans say the U.S. is the world’s leading economy (52%) than say the same of China (32%), views of U.S. economic superiority declined 7 percentage points over the past four months.”

Trump’s inconsistent China strategy puts our national security at risk, and he’s only acting tough on China now ahead of the election.

Foreign Policy: “Trump’s Flip-Flops On China Are A Danger To National Security”

New York Times: “With President Trump trailing badly in the polls as the election nears, his national security officials have intensified their attack on China in recent weeks, targeting its officials, diplomats and executives. While the strategy has reinforced a key campaign message, some American officials, worried Mr. Trump will lose, are also trying to engineer irreversible changes, according to people familiar with the thinking.”

It is no wonder Beijing wants Trump to win reelection.

CNBC: “Beijing Would Prefer Trump Be Reelected As It Gives China An Advantage Internationally, Analyst Says”