The haphazard implementation of U.S. tariffs is seriously harming the reputation and economic outlook of the United States, undermining President Donald Trump's own competitive strategy within a zero-sum-game viewpoint, said American political strategist Spencer Critchley.
As a communication consultant, Critchley has worked for both of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, former Congressman Sam Farr, the U.S. Department of Labor, and other major figures in the U.S. political landscape.
During an online interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Critchley questioned the internal logic of Trump's actions, pointing to fundamental flaws that persist even when adopting the U.S. president's winner-take-all world view.
"I'm not the only observer here in the United States to note that if Trump sees China as a major competitor, and of course many people do see China as a major competitor of the United States, then he could hardly give China a bigger gift than to undermine trust in the United States as a deal partner and an ally, thereby creating a great opportunity for a powerful competitor such as China to step into the gap he has created and say, well, you can trust us not to be so incredibly mercurial to suddenly jack up tariffs on you to 145 percent, or to just tear up and throw away trade agreements. Or, I think, even more damaging in some ways, to suddenly just cut off foreign aid and betray all these suffering people who are now starting to die and just creating an enormous blow to the reputation of the United States. And again, creating an opportunity for a competitor such as China to step in and offer aid and build goodwill that way," he said.
"So even if you look at the world from the point of view of Trump in which he thinks there can only be winners and losers -- the idea of having a mutually beneficial relationship just apparently something he can't imagine -- even if you look at it from his point of view where he must win and everybody else must lose, he's virtually guaranteeing that he will lose. And unfortunately, do great damage to the country at the same time," said the strategist.
Trump tariffs to seriously harm U.S. reputation, economy: veteran political strategist
A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.
In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.
To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.
In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.
Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.
The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.
Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.
In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.
At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.
"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.
In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.
Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.
"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.
To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.
"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.
China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom
