Xi Jinping has spent his career preparing for tariff faceoff. It may not be enough

Published April 11, 2025 6:00am ET



Beijing is going full tilt at President Donald Trump as his global tariff war has narrowed into a bilateral game of chicken between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

Trump has set tariffs on Chinese goods at approximately 125% in an effort to force the country to renegotiate a perceived trade imbalance — with an additional 20% slapped on top to punish the country for failing to curb fentanyl production.

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