U.S.-China trade war escalates amid fentanyl crisis and rising geopolitical tensions
By bellecarter // 2025-04-06
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  • The U.S. and China have imposed retaliatory tariffs, with the U.S. targeting Chinese goods (citing the fentanyl crisis) and China taxing U.S. coal, natural gas and agricultural equipment.
  • China is accused of supplying fentanyl precursors fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic (200+ daily deaths). Beijing denies responsibility, framing it as America's "own problem" and allegedly viewing it as retribution for historical Western "humiliation" like the Opium Wars.
  • Former professor Yuan Hongbing claims Xi has directed officials to deny China's role in the opioid crisis, linking fentanyl production to historical grievances. Fentanyl deaths in the U.S. have surged 23-fold since 2013.
  • Analysts say tensions now reflect deeper ideological and geopolitical conflict. China's economic rise (BRI, rare earth dominance) aims to challenge Western-led global order, with Xi leveraging historical resentment over the "century of humiliation."
  • Relations have deteriorated under Biden and Trump, with high-level communication stalled. Experts warn the stand-off – framed as a historical reckoning by China – shows no signs of resolution, escalating into a broader struggle for global influence.
Tensions between the United States and China have reached a boiling point as both nations impose retaliatory tariffs, with Beijing adopting increasingly confrontational rhetoric. In early March, China's Foreign Ministry declared on social media that it was prepared to fight "any type of war" with the U.S., including a trade war. President Donald Trump responded by imposing a 20 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, citing the fentanyl crisis as a national emergency. Meanwhile, China retaliated with new tariffs on U.S. coal, natural gas and agricultural equipment. Behind the economic battle lies a deeper conflict: China's alleged role in fueling America's opioid epidemic – a crisis now claiming over 200 lives daily – and Beijing's historical grievances against the West. (Related: China is worsening America's fentanyl crisis, and Trump is threatening to slap more tariffs until Beijing ends it.) The U.S. fentanyl epidemic has become a flashpoint in bilateral relations. China remains the primary source of fentanyl precursors, which are shipped to Mexico before being smuggled into the U.S. Beijing, however, has dismissed the crisis as America's "own problem" and accused Washington of "blackmail." According to Yuan Hongbing, a former Peking University law professor now in exile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has internally directed officials to deny any connection between China and the opioid crises in the U.S. and Europe. "Xi has consistently maintained that China legally produces chemical precursors and bears no responsibility if they are converted into illicit drugs," Yuan told the Epoch Times. He alleges that Xi views fentanyl as a form of retribution for the West’s historical "humiliation" of China, referencing the 19th-century Opium Wars, which forced China into unequal treaties. "This directive has led to a dramatic increase in fentanyl precursor production," Yuan said. Fentanyl overdoses now kill more Americans aged 18 to 45 than any other cause, with deaths surging 23-fold since 2013. While recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows a 20 percent decline in opioid-related fatalities in 2024, the crisis remains a top voter concern – one that experts say is reshaping U.S.- China relations.

From trade war to strategic rivalry

The tariff escalations mark the latest chapter in a years-long economic standoff, but analysts warn the conflict has evolved beyond trade. "The U.S. and China have fundamentally turned against each other," said China expert Alexander Liao. He describes the current dynamic as "little noise but fierce action," contrasting it with the more diplomatic disputes between the U.S. and Europe. During the Biden administration, relations entered an "ice age," with high-level communications freezing for nearly a year. Now, with Trump's latest tariffs and China's aggressive response, the confrontation has intensified. Liao notes that China's economic rise – its GDP now rivals the U.S. in purchasing power – has emboldened Xi to pursue a more assertive foreign policy, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since taking power in 2013, Xi has leveraged China's economic growth to expand its global influence. Yuan argues that the BRI, a $1 trillion infrastructure project, is a vehicle for exporting communist authoritarianism while securing critical resources like rare earth minerals. "Xi's goal is to overturn the Western-led order," Yuan said. This ambition is rooted in historical resentment. The Opium Wars (1839–1860) forced China to cede territory and open its ports to foreign powers – a period Beijing considers as a "century of humiliation." Xi's rhetoric often invokes this narrative, framing China's rise as a corrective to past injustices. The U.S.-China trade war is no longer just about tariffs; it reflects a deepening ideological and geopolitical rift. With fentanyl deaths fueling American outrage and Xi's regime framing the conflict as a historical reckoning, diplomatic resolution appears distant. As Liao observes, "The politics play differently between enemies and friends." For now, both nations seem locked in a high-stakes confrontation where economic measures and drug policy are just the opening salvos in a broader struggle for global influence. Watch the video below that talks about Trump's use of tariffs to stop the flow of fentanyl. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Former Congresswoman exposes CCP's deep infiltration of California through universities, ports, and fentanyl. Trump stands firm on tariffs: Mexico, Canada, and China face new trade measures over fentanyl crisis. China prepares to resume trade talks with Trump amid tariff pressures.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.com
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