Not too long ago China was a respectable trading partner. Liberal media were praising how they cleaned Beijing air for the Olympics, how the government lifted people out of poverty, expanding tech startup scene, etc. China was the biggest market for Hollywood, GM, Ford, Apple, etc. Then China clamped down on the greed, started jailing billionaires, and did some protectionism policies to foster Chinese domestic cinema, tech, car industries etc. Around the same time Trumpo first administration was sputtering out of steam, they lost badly on the midterm election, so they literally couldn't pass any law through Yas Queen Pelosi congress. Seething at their own domestic impotence, Trump admins turned outward and need an outside enemy to demogauge, so the tariffs started, they tried to run color revolution in Hong Kong, and Xinjiang became a thing