Trump: US Companies 'Hereby Ordered' To Start Looking for Alternatives to China
In the trade war between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, it looks like President Donald Trump just unleashed his harshest words yet as part of a signal to U.S. businesses.
Trump posted the warning on his Twitter account on Friday.
“The vast amounts of money made and stolen by China from the United States, year after year, for decades, will and must STOP,” Trump wrote.
“Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing your companies HOME and making your products in the USA.”
….better off without them. The vast amounts of money made and stolen by China from the United States, year after year, for decades, will and must STOP. Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2019
….all deliveries of Fentanyl from China (or anywhere else!). Fentanyl kills 100,000 Americans a year. President Xi said this would stop – it didn’t. Our Economy, because of our gains in the last 2 1/2 years, is MUCH larger than that of China. We will keep it that way!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2019
Trump’s grievances against the communist nation appear to have come to a head.
Citing China’s continued intellectual property theft and illicit production and exportation of the deadly drug fentanyl, Trump demanded U.S. businesses to begin adjusting their supply and manufacturing chains to distance themselves from the nation.
If companies decide to follow along with Trump’s recommendation, it won’t be easy.
China and the United States have the world’s two largest economies and are closely connected with each other, according to the World Population Review. Though China would feel economic pain from the departure of U.S. businesses, it’s likely that our own companies won’t escape unscathed.
China’s labor and materials markets are exponentially cheaper than those in the United States thanks to lax labor and environmental laws and a number of other factors.
Trump’s demand comes at a critical time.
Hong Kong is currently feeling the pressure from the central Chinese government, and protests have sparked worldwide condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party. Though China hasn’t taken any direct action, reports of military staging near the border continue to keep Hong Kong on edge.
Across the narrow Taiwan Strait, the island nation of Taiwan remains a focus of its communist rival’s future plans at regional domination. Though the U.S. continues to supply arms to Taiwan, China insists the island is part of their country.
Although Trump’s request for U.S. businesses revolves around the current economic situation, the move could also come as a check to Chinese aggression.
With a rocky and unsure economic future ahead of them, China may slow down plans to “unite” wayward areas like Hong Kong and Taiwan, especially if the United States keeps the pressure on the communist nation.
For now, the relationship between our two countries is not yet to the point of no return. If we are unable to meet and come to a common understanding, however, this may not be the case for long.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
