Bad trade policy

Regarding “China announces equal penalties to retaliate for US tariffs” (Associated Press, June 15): President Trump’s tariff increase on Chinese goods reflects the notion that to make money, the U.S. must focus solely on its own economic welfare. This misconception drastically hinders our country’s ability to foster mutually beneficial relationships with other nations. By building up our walls — physically and diplomatically — we exclude ourselves from the global market, and the 95 percent of the consumers who live outside of the United States.

We often view other countries as opponents in a distributive negotiation, where their win is our loss. However, international relationships encompass far more than the short-term give and take of money. To maintain our position as one of the world’s most influential nations, we must take a diplomatic look at the federal budget. Foreign aid makes up less than 1 percent of the federal budget, and is often seen simply as charity. By helping countries plagued by extreme poverty, we invest in them and create future markets for U.S. products. Most of our country’s main trading partners, including China, once received U.S. foreign aid. The resulting growth of the Chinese middle class vastly increased the consumers of American goods.

Let us overcome our competitive nature and realize the good that comes from working with other nations instead of against them. It’s foolish to sacrifice years of diplomacy for short-term economic gain.

Isabelle Kiehl, Norman