The US–China Trade War: Economic Statecraft, Multinational Corporations, and Public Opinion

Abstract

The United States and China have been embroiled in what Beijing has called the “biggest trade war in economic history” since early 2018, when Washington imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese products to challenge perceived unfair Chinese practices, prompting Beijing to retaliate with its own tariffs on US exports to China. The trade war was not an independent event, but part of a broader effort initiated by the Trump administration to confront serious challenges from China in not only the economic but also the political and security realms. The trade war has had a tremendous impact on global economic activities and geopolitical relations. Although the two sides reached a partial truce in January 2020 with the signing of the Phase One trade agreement, the conflict is far from over. The enormous political and economic differences between the two countries have impacted and will likely continue to impact how the trade war will play out in the future. This special issue explores the politics of the US–China trade war, focusing on economic statecraft, the role of multinational corporations in the dispute, and public opinion toward the trade war. The introduction to the special issue first provides an overview of the origins of the US–China trade war and surveys existing literature on this topic. It then proceeds to highlight the key themes and contributions of the issue and concludes by identifying questions for future research.