Biden administration statements indicate that the United States may remove at least some of the $300 billion in tariffs imposed on China by the Trump administration.

It would be a serious mistake to do so. For a start, most economists suggest that the waiving of tariffs would provide only a marginal benefit in terms of restraining U.S. inflation rates. But the national security costs of doing so would be far higher. Biden would be throwing a lifeline to Xi Jinping just as the Chinese leader needs it most. As the South China Morning Post reports, party officials are desperate to bolster economic growth in the second part of 2022.