[gruez]

>It's antithetical to the US's purported objective of promoting a more liberalized market economy in China (though I suppose that was never something this administration really cared about).

You're missing the context behind why that policy was in place. A big part of that was the hope that China would democratize in the process. Clearly that has not happened so it makes sense to pull the plug. No point giving out free concessions to trade partners that aren't willing to reciprocate.

[DiogenesKynikos]

It was never about giving "free concessions." It was about opening up China to foreign investment, so that foreign companies could make returns. It's difficult to overstate just how massively foreign companies profited from trade liberalization with China.

Foreign companies were able to earn large returns in China because China's tariffs went from ~40% to ~3%, restrictions on foreign investment were reduced or eliminated in most sectors, big state-owned enterprises were split up and forced to operate like regular companies that have to earn a profit, IP courts were created, along with many other changes large and small.

The sudden cries that China took advantage of the West are just completely out of touch with reality.