Epoch Times - Gordon Chang: Trump Holds the Aces, But Beijing Is Winning the Propaganda War

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Aug. 18, 2025 - Epoch Times

02:33

Gordon Chang: Trump Holds the Aces, But Beijing Is Winning the Propaganda War

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	Well, the Trump administration this month has given China a second 90-day extension on those elevated tariffs.
	Normally delay helps China because it gives them more time to steal our intellectual property and engage in predatory trade practices.
	Also, this 90-day extension covers both the Halloween and Christmas shipments.
	So, you know, normally this would help China.
	This time might be a little bit different, Jan.
	And the reason, two reasons.
	First of all, our tariffs are, general tariff rate is 30%.
	Their general tariff rate is 10%.
	So that's somewhat advantageous.
	And the 20% difference is because of fentanyl, the fentanyl tariff.
	The other thing and more important reason why this delay might actually help us is because President Trump is signing up these framework trade deals with other countries.
	And these deals tend to redirect trade away from China.
	So for instance, the UK deal in May actually has provisions which say that the reduced tariff rates for British goods coming into the U.S. apply only if they don't have components from countries of concern, which is China.
	So that redirects British trade away from China.
	But also, you know, we're seeing the EU deal, which was incredibly important, a big defeat for China.
	And, you know, then there's Japan, South Korea, Indonesia.
	So these things are moving in the right direction.
	But the problem here, though, and it's a propaganda one, the propaganda is important.
	China is making the case that it holds the whip hand over the United States, that they're winning the trade war.
	And from an objective point of view, one could argue that they're right.
	But that view is now predominant, not only in the United States, but around the world.
	So Trump is in the short end of this.
	And what is really concerned is that Trump holds the high cards, most of the high cards here.
	And he's still playing a very strong hand in a very weak manner.
	Now, I think Trump is just trying to be generous.
	But the point is until Trump changes the dynamics by imposing costs on China, the United States looks like it's finished, which is the Chinese argument.

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