(NewsNation) — China analyst Gordon Chang predicts other countries will follow President Donald Trump’s lead in imposing steep tariffs on Chinese imports after the U.S. implemented a 125% tax on Chinese goods.
“What’s going to happen is other countries are going to have to follow Trump’s footsteps,” Chang said Wednesday on NewsNation. “Trump’s tariffs close off the U.S. market to many Chinese products. China’s got to sell them someplace else… other countries’ industrial sectors are going to be decimated unless they protect their country.”
Chang, author of the new book “Plan Red: China’s Project to Destroy America,” said he expects to see tariffs rise on Chinese goods worldwide as countries defend their markets from potential product dumping.
“So, I think you’re going to see tariffs go up on Chinese goods around the world,” Chang said.
While Trump said he expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to reach out to make a deal, Chang was skeptical of an immediate resolution.
“That’s what Xi should do. That’s the economically rational thing,” Chang said. “The problem is that Xi Jinping has configured the Chinese political system so that only the most hostile answers are considered acceptable, which boxes himself in.”
Chang explained that though making a deal would benefit China’s economy, Xi is unlikely to do so quickly because it would undermine his position within the Communist Party.
“I don’t think they’re going to figure it out this week,” he told NewsNation.
The analyst also highlighted the strategic benefits of moving manufacturing away from China, suggesting that relocating factories to Central America could help stabilize those societies and reduce migration pressures to the United States.
Chang emphasized the importance of bringing critical industries like semiconductor fabrication and pharmaceuticals back to the U.S., arguing that trade with China indirectly funds their military development.
“China uses our trade proceeds to configure its military, which is basically designed to fight America,” Chang said. “That’s just morally and strategically wrong to give them the money to do that.”