By turning Ronald Reagan against Donald Trump, China has made its most pointed rebuke yet in a spiralling trade war. On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry published a striking video on X (formerly Twitter) featuring the voice of Reagan warning: “The surest way to destroy those jobs and throw Americans out of work is to start a trade war.”
The 1987 radio address was no accident. It was a calculated counterpunch to Trump’s dramatic tariff hike—an attempt to use America’s own conservative icon to shame the former president’s aggressive protectionism.
Beijing’s message was simple: history is not on Trump’s side.
Tariffs surge as both sides double down
Trump’s latest move has pushed the US-China trade conflict to its most perilous point yet. On 2 April, the White House raised tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to a staggering 104%, calling them “reciprocal tariffs.” Days later, he doubled down—raising them further to 125%, while temporarily pausing new levies on all other countries for 90 days.
China’s response was swift. Tariffs initially planned at 34% jumped to 84%, and are now retaliating at a punishing 125%. A spokesperson from the Commerce Ministry urged Washington to reverse course: “We urge the US to... take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of 'reciprocal tariffs' and return to the right path of mutual respect.”
Despite a temporary carve-out for certain electronics—including smartphones, laptops, and chips—Trump has made clear he intends to loosen China’s grip on American tech supply chains.
“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops,” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai told reporters.
Chinese exporters rattled: “There’s not a thread of feasibility”
The shockwaves from Washington’s tariffs are already being felt across Chinese trade hubs. In Ningbo, veteran exporter Zou Guoqing said his business had survived earlier 10% tariffs by offering discounts. But the new 34% hike announced on 2 April?
“There's not a thread of feasibility,” Zou said. “It looks like I would have no choice but give up trading with the US.”
Ports in Shanghai and Guangdong have slowed to a crawl. According to Radio Free Asia, “almost no cargo ships were headed to the US,” and factories in key regions are stalling.
US tech reels, exemptions offer thin relief
Trump’s administration offered some late relief to major tech firms, exempting select electronics from tariffs. US Customs guidance confirmed that smartphones, laptops, hard drives, monitors, and some chips would be spared.
But the damage was already done. Apple alone lost over $640 billion in market value following Trump’s announcements, with Samsung and Nvidia also seeing steep drops.
Despite exemptions, industry leaders remain on edge. The 145% tariff rate, matched by China’s retaliatory 125%, has destabilised long-standing trade flows. Future orders are in doubt. So is the very sustainability of the decades-long economic partnership.
Allies or isolation? The paradox of Trump’s global play
As his trade war with China heats up, Trump finds himself in need of friends. The irony is hard to ignore.
“He’s insulted allies, imposed tariffs on partners, and even threatened to annex Canada,” said one senior trade official in Ottawa. New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already declared the traditional US-Canada relationship “over.”
And yet, Washington insists the phones are ringing. “They have made it very clear they need the United States of America, they need our markets, they need our consumer base,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that Japan, South Korea, India, and Vietnam were “coming to the table” to help the US pressure China. “Basically China is surrounded,” he said.
His strategy? Build a trade coalition to compel Beijing to address issues like intellectual property theft, market access, and industrial espionage.
A bridge burned before it was crossed
But if that idea sounds familiar, it’s because it was tried—and scrapped.
Back in 2017, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation pact designed to counterbalance China without provoking a trade war. He also pulled the plug on a US-EU trade agreement that could have forged the largest transatlantic market in history.
Trump’s distaste for multilateralism has left many wondering whether allies will answer the call this time.
“The US right now is an incredibly unreliable partner to anyone in the world, and I don’t know how we are going to get back to being reliable,” said Jason Furman, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Barack Obama.
For now, the world is watching a risky experiment unfold. China is defiant but rattled. American companies are hurting. Allies are confused.
And amid the smoke of a trade war, an old voice from the past has resurfaced—offering perhaps the clearest warning of all.
“The surest way to destroy those jobs and throw Americans out of work,” Reagan once said, “is to start a trade war.”
Trump may soon find out whether history remembers that line—or repeats it.
The 1987 radio address was no accident. It was a calculated counterpunch to Trump’s dramatic tariff hike—an attempt to use America’s own conservative icon to shame the former president’s aggressive protectionism.
Beijing’s message was simple: history is not on Trump’s side.
“The surest way to destroy those jobs and throw Americans out of work is to start a #tradewar.”
— Mao Ning 毛宁 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) April 13, 2025
— Ronald Reagan, 1985 pic.twitter.com/9yAtc5Rx7s
Tariffs surge as both sides double down
Trump’s latest move has pushed the US-China trade conflict to its most perilous point yet. On 2 April, the White House raised tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to a staggering 104%, calling them “reciprocal tariffs.” Days later, he doubled down—raising them further to 125%, while temporarily pausing new levies on all other countries for 90 days.
China’s response was swift. Tariffs initially planned at 34% jumped to 84%, and are now retaliating at a punishing 125%. A spokesperson from the Commerce Ministry urged Washington to reverse course: “We urge the US to... take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of 'reciprocal tariffs' and return to the right path of mutual respect.”
Despite a temporary carve-out for certain electronics—including smartphones, laptops, and chips—Trump has made clear he intends to loosen China’s grip on American tech supply chains.
“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops,” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai told reporters.
Chinese exporters rattled: “There’s not a thread of feasibility”
The shockwaves from Washington’s tariffs are already being felt across Chinese trade hubs. In Ningbo, veteran exporter Zou Guoqing said his business had survived earlier 10% tariffs by offering discounts. But the new 34% hike announced on 2 April?
“There's not a thread of feasibility,” Zou said. “It looks like I would have no choice but give up trading with the US.”
Ports in Shanghai and Guangdong have slowed to a crawl. According to Radio Free Asia, “almost no cargo ships were headed to the US,” and factories in key regions are stalling.
US tech reels, exemptions offer thin relief
Trump’s administration offered some late relief to major tech firms, exempting select electronics from tariffs. US Customs guidance confirmed that smartphones, laptops, hard drives, monitors, and some chips would be spared.
But the damage was already done. Apple alone lost over $640 billion in market value following Trump’s announcements, with Samsung and Nvidia also seeing steep drops.
Despite exemptions, industry leaders remain on edge. The 145% tariff rate, matched by China’s retaliatory 125%, has destabilised long-standing trade flows. Future orders are in doubt. So is the very sustainability of the decades-long economic partnership.
Allies or isolation? The paradox of Trump’s global play
As his trade war with China heats up, Trump finds himself in need of friends. The irony is hard to ignore.
“He’s insulted allies, imposed tariffs on partners, and even threatened to annex Canada,” said one senior trade official in Ottawa. New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already declared the traditional US-Canada relationship “over.”
And yet, Washington insists the phones are ringing. “They have made it very clear they need the United States of America, they need our markets, they need our consumer base,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that Japan, South Korea, India, and Vietnam were “coming to the table” to help the US pressure China. “Basically China is surrounded,” he said.
His strategy? Build a trade coalition to compel Beijing to address issues like intellectual property theft, market access, and industrial espionage.
A bridge burned before it was crossed
But if that idea sounds familiar, it’s because it was tried—and scrapped.
Back in 2017, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation pact designed to counterbalance China without provoking a trade war. He also pulled the plug on a US-EU trade agreement that could have forged the largest transatlantic market in history.
Trump’s distaste for multilateralism has left many wondering whether allies will answer the call this time.
“The US right now is an incredibly unreliable partner to anyone in the world, and I don’t know how we are going to get back to being reliable,” said Jason Furman, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Barack Obama.
For now, the world is watching a risky experiment unfold. China is defiant but rattled. American companies are hurting. Allies are confused.
And amid the smoke of a trade war, an old voice from the past has resurfaced—offering perhaps the clearest warning of all.
“The surest way to destroy those jobs and throw Americans out of work,” Reagan once said, “is to start a trade war.”
Trump may soon find out whether history remembers that line—or repeats it.
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