Are We Ever Going to War with China?

Today, the world looks pretty different from just a few months ago, when Americans were dreading empty shelves and an economic depression brought about by a reckless trade war. Today, the news paints a portrait of Trump bending over for China, relaxing tariffs and rolling back restrictions on AI computer chips. As we predicted here back in April, China responded to Trump’s threats by restricting exports of raw materials we rely on for manufacturing cars, weapons, electronics, and medical equipment. According to The New York Times:

China’s decision to cut off access to those materials upended the dynamic between the world’s largest economies. The Trump administration, which came into office determined to bully China into changing its trade behavior with punishing tariffs, appeared to realize the perils of that approach. Now, the administration has resorted to trying to woo China instead.

It’s been hard to pin down where American politicians stand on China. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a wide range of positions. They change their tune overnight, one minute ranting about TikTok and weather balloons, and the next they’re talking about cooperation and hope, only to turn around and start yapping about the need to arm Taiwan. It doesn’t make much sense.

Even as tensions cool, new reports show that “Chinese-linked hackers” are targeting Taiwanese semiconductor plants. Intelligence agencies in the U.S. have noticed “an increase in sustained hacking campaigns… to steal data and information.” It’s all to say, at a time when it’s more important than ever for the world to be slowing down and responding to the climate crisis, leaders in the west are primarily focused on profit, technology, and warfare. What’s new?