[By Guancha Observer Network, Xiong Chaoyi] On April 16 local time, Moira Weigel, assistant professor at Harvard University, wrote a commentary article in The New York Times. At the beginning of the article, she mentioned that some Chinese netizens call former U.S. President Donald Trump "Chuan Jian Guo". The literal meaning of "Chuan Jian Guo" is "Trump Builds the Country", while a more vivid translation might be "Comrade Chuan Jian Guo", as many people jokingly refer to Trump as a patriotic "Chinese person" who creates chaos in America in an effort to advance China's interests.

The article points out that the e-commerce ecosystem, which has now become the pillar of the global retail industry and the world economy, has its roots deeply embedded in China. Almost all well-known e-commerce platforms rely on millions of Chinese sellers to supply goods for sale. For example, more than half of Amazon's top sellers are from China, and the vast majority of products on the platform are "Made in China", even American domestic sellers mostly purchase from China.

Therefore, Trump's imposition of high tariffs on China will not only fail to achieve the goal of bringing manufacturing back to the United States but will also result in American consumers paying higher prices. Meanwhile, these tariffs will drive the Chinese e-commerce ecosystem to expand into other global markets, ultimately enhancing China's global economic influence.

The author explains that affectionately calling Trump "Comrade Chuan Jian Guo" does not mean that Chinese people truly like him; in fact, many businesspeople are even angry about his tariff wars. However, they firmly believe that under Trump's threats, China can withstand the test, and the tariffs will eventually lead China to gain its rightful position as a world leader, becoming a beacon for the new phase of globalization that is no longer centered around the United States.

On April 2, 2025, at the White House in the United States, Trump held a report on trade barriers and delivered a speech. Visual China

Weigel mentioned that these internet memes about "Chuan Jian Guo" were learned from friends last summer while studying cross-border e-commerce operations at the official Amazon recruitment center in Hangzhou and the Temu (overseas version of Pinduoduo) seller training base.

These two companies form the core of the vast e-commerce ecosystem. This ecosystem, deeply rooted in China, including manufacturers, online retailers, and software suppliers serving them, has become the pillar of the global retail industry and the world economy. From Etsy favored by millennials to Shein, the fast-fashion giant, and even Google and Meta, all depend on supplies from millions of Chinese sellers.

The article argues that it would not be an exaggeration to call Amazon a "Sino-American company," as more than half of its top sellers are in China, and the commission paid by these third-party sellers constitutes the core revenue source for Amazon. This explains why Trump's high tariffs on Chinese goods are unlikely to achieve the goal of bringing manufacturing back to the United States. On the contrary, high tariffs will force Americans to pay more for ordinary goods they have been purchasing from Amazon, while simultaneously driving the Chinese e-commerce ecosystem to expand globally, thereby strengthening China's economic strength worldwide.

Amazon shoppers typically exhibit loyalty to the platform rather than specific sellers. When users enter the site, the majority prioritize browsing recommended products. Therefore, ordinary consumers may find it difficult to perceive the impact of high tariffs on small and medium-sized sellers, as these smaller vendors often lack the capital and resources to absorb such instability.

However, American consumers are more likely to notice price increases for the items they need. For instance, the vast majority of products on Amazon are manufactured in China, and even American domestic sellers mostly purchase from China. Like their Chinese counterparts, they will ultimately be forced to raise prices because their profit margins are already slim.

Weigel pointed out that most economists agree that tariff policies do not help bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, and some even question the necessity of such "returning to the United States." Over the decades, China has made substantial investments in education, infrastructure, and research. Although China's labor costs have increased, they remain significantly lower than those in the United States.

The author's viewpoint is that, in the long term, American tariffs may actually benefit China. If tariffs cause the U.S. economy to enter a recession, consumers will seek savings, and thrifty Americans will prefer inexpensive goods sold by Shenzhen-based Amazon merchants.

More importantly, tariffs are also strongly driving Chinese sellers to explore new markets. Over the past two years, China has been urging enterprises to "go global,"进军 Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. As tariffs force China to layout globally, this ecosystem, which previously relied on Amazon's vast platform and data, can take the lead.

Meanwhile, the development of artificial intelligence (AI) will also add wings to the global expansion of Chinese sellers: manufacturers can efficiently manage more products, achieve multi-language ad conversions, and open overseas markets more precisely than ever before.

Weigel stated that the Chinese cross-border e-commerce industry has historically accelerated innovation during crises. The Temu platform, launched in September 2022, reached sales of over $50 billion by the end of 2024 and became the highest-downloaded app in the United States that year. Data analytics platform Similar Web reported that in February 2025, Temu's U.S. site traffic approached the 1 billion mark.

In addition to imposing excessive tariffs, the Trump administration again targeted small Chinese packages, canceling the tax-free channel for low-cost packages entering the U.S. Articles point out that although this move will impact platforms like Temu, which focus on small items, the company had already taken precautions by encouraging merchants to ship more goods to warehouses in the U.S. rather than selling directly to customers, which is driving the flourishing of third-party logistics companies run by Chinese-American relatives and friends.

In this article, Weigel mentions Shenzhen multiple times and introduces that this vibrant city gathers more than 100,000 Amazon sellers, ranging from micro-enterprises to industry giants. For example, Anker Innovation, which started with laptop replacement batteries and transitioned to electronic charging device manufacturing, now employs 5,000 people and generates annual revenue of $3 billion.

After analysis, Weigel said that businesspeople in Shenzhen are indeed indignant about Trump's tariff policies. The jokes about liking Trump are just that, but many feel that regardless of how painful it may be in the short term, tariffs will ultimately prompt China to gain its rightful place as a world leader and a beacon for the new phase of globalization that is no longer centered around the United States.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493822963544932876/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Please use the [Like/Dislike] buttons below to express your opinion.