CLW’s Executive Director, Li Qiang, authored an article in The Hill titled “How ‘America First’ created a strategic opening for Beijing”, analyzing how the “America First” doctrine has damaged the global appeal of U.S. brands and inadvertently helped China expand its influence. Using Tesla’s recent decline in the European market as a starting point, the piece illustrates how American isolationism is reshaping consumer perceptions—and how Beijing is capitalizing on this.
Key Takeaways:
Tesla’s falling sales in Europe reflects global backlash against “America First”. In February 2025, Tesla’s European sales plummeted 44% while China’s BYD surged. Polls show a widespread distrust of Tesla among European consumers, revealing growing unease with the political image of U.S. brands.
“America First” has eroded U.S. soft power and consumer trust. For decades, U.S. companies represented innovation, freedom, and reliability. That trust is eroding as consumers begin to reject American products due to the political symbolism associated with them.
China is rapidly filling the vacuum left by U.S. retreat. While the U.S. imposes tariffs and pulls back diplomatically, China is expanding its influence through trade deals, Belt and Road Initiative projects, and rare earth supply chains—increasing its influence across Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Notably, the article cites Thailand’s forced repatriation of Uyghurs, amid international backlash, recently as an example of China’s rising clout.
The U.S. must shift from imposing broad tariffs to targeted enforcement. Li calls for a more strategic tariff policy and regulatory measures focused on Chinese goods tied to forced labor, environmental violations, and subsidies—while coordinating with EU trade frameworks to close loopholes.
Strengthening alliances, instead of isolationist policies, are key to rebuilding global competitiveness. Rather than alienating Canada, Mexico, and Europe, the U.S. should lead a values-based trade coalition. To rebuild trust, they should focus on joint enforcement of labor and environmental standards.
This article warns: Without a clear, values-driven strategy, America will become increasingly isolated. This is an article for readers concerned with global trade, U.S. influence, and China’s rise.
To read the full article, please see: “How ‘America First’ created a strategic opening for Beijing”
Photo by Tim Mossholder at Pexels
