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Even with a sluggish economy, China isn’t backing down from a trade fight with the United States. In fact, China seems willing to take the economic hits as long as it can show strength. Why? Because for China’s leaders, this isn’t just about tariffs—it’s about pride, control, and ideology.
That’s the conclusion drawn by Schar School of Policy and Government Professor of Public Policy and China policy expert Hilton L. Root in an essay called “China and America: How Xi Jinping Has Changed the Game.” It was published in April by the international journal Survival: Global Politics and Strategy, a publication of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The full text can be found at this webpage.
Even with its economy struggling, China seems ready to take on an expensive trade fight with the United States, Root writes. This isn't just about money—China sees it as a way to defend its values and national pride. When President Donald Trump first hit China with tariffs, China hit back with its own. But because China relies more on trade than the United States does, it risks running out of ways to respond. Still, it appears willing to accept the economic pain to show strength and resist what it sees as an untrustworthy United States.
This tough stance is turning trade into more than just business—it’s becoming a kind of political and ideological battle. Experts are calling it “economic statecraft,” where trade tools are used like weapons in a broader struggle between nations.
Given how much China has changed in recent years, it’s unclear if Trump’s tariff-heavy strategy would still work. On a recent trip to China, Root noticed that despite its economic challenges, the country has built new ways to protect itself from external pressure, making it harder for tariffs to hurt them like before.
China’s growing focus on ideology under President Xi Jinping has made the country tougher, though not unbeatable. Both the United States and China are adjusting to the new reality. Who comes out ahead in this ongoing battle over trade and technology will depend on which country has the smarter strategy and the stronger economy under pressure.
For the United States, the key lesson is this: This fight is no longer just about numbers, trade deals, or supply chains. It’s about determination, the stories each country tells about itself, and their sense of national mission. In struggles like this, truly grasping how your opponent thinks is just as important as having the right tools. If America wants to compete effectively, it must combine strength with understanding—otherwise, it risks using old tactics against a very different, more ideologically driven China.