(Minghui.org) The tension surrounding Trump’s tariffs on China continues unabated. Some consider the U.S.’s tough stand on this issue as an indication of anti-China sentiment. However, the U.S. initiated the trade war because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was not adhering to the World Trade Organization rules.

The U.S. tariffs on China aren’t solely about trade protection. Trump has been talking about fair trade for years. Since the 1980s, he has expressed concerns about trade imbalances with other countries, especially Japan. When he became president in 2025, he focused his attention on China, pointing out that it violated international trade orders by manipulating currency and stealing intellectual property. In addition to imposing tariffs, he filed a complaint with the WTO and challenged Beijing’s trade manipulation tactics.

While Trump takes a tough stance on China’s economy, he opposes the CCP’s global political and economic expansion, rather than being anti-China. However, several members of his cabinet have consistently noted that the CCP poses the greatest threat to the U.S., and that the U.S. should adopt a firm position to protect its interests and maintain global order.

For those who struggle to understand why Trump is taking a tough stance on China, consider the ongoing trade imbalance, China’s incursion into the U.S. through TikTok, the spy balloons, and the 2019 pandemic that originated in China.

The CCP disseminated false narratives through the TikTok app, to confuse the Western public and incite ideological clashes, all while gathering user information. At the onset of the pandemic, instead of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the CCP failed to effectively warn the world that the virus was spreading, resulting in numerous deaths worldwide. The drastic lockdown measures implemented by the CCP in China also caused its people unspeakable suffering and showed the world how this regime silenced the voices of its people. Additionally, China released spy balloons across the U.S., a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty. Through these tactics, the CCP gradually gained control over various aspects of the U.S., which it would later exploit for economic and political advantage.

The CCP further harmed the U.S. by flooding the country with fentanyl. It allowed enormous amounts of chemicals used to produce fentanyl to be smuggled into the U.S. China has become the primary supplier of the drug. This lethal substance causes the deaths of tens of thousands of young Americans each year. The CCP’s complicity in drug trafficking has devastated many American families.

Trump’s tough stance on China does not imply hostility towards the Chinese people. He sees the CCP’s actions affecting the U.S., and tariffs are his way of leveling the playing field. In this process, the Chinese people may inevitably face hardships, and true freedom and prosperity for China will only come when the whole world unites against the CCP.