China has become a key battleground for the 2020 election as supporters of Trump hope a hardening in public opinion offers a populist route to victory that mirrors their 2016 playbook.
A poll published over the weekend shows the prize. FTI Consulting, a business advisory firm, found that 40% of Americans say they won’t buy products from China. More than half don’t believe the country will follow through on its trade deal commitments. And more than three-quarters said they were willing to pay more for products if their manufacture were moved out of China.
Trump allies believe a president who made China a first-term priority will win that tussle rather than a challenger only now waking up to the danger. So while Joe Biden may claim that his deep experience culled from 25 hours of one-on-one talks with President Xi Jinping gives him unique insight in dealing with the communist regime, opponents say it shows he is one of the political insiders who sold out American workers.
Jason Miller, veteran of the 2016 Trump campaign, said: “Simply put, Joe Biden has a Hillary Clinton problem. He’s viewed as an entrenched insider. He’s had a hand in every bad trade deal that’s happened over the last quarter-century if not half-century. Biden’s coziness with China will be problematic in 2020.”
