Stuart Shimazu said that President Donald Trump is wrong with his trade war with China because consumers will pay more for cheap Chinese goods (“Trade war with China will hurt U.S. consumers,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 10).

In effect Shimazu is OK with Americans propping up the Chinese economy with almost half-a-trillion-dollar imbalance in trade in China’s favor. Back in the day when China was a Third World economy, the trade imbalance was tolerated to help it out. Now China is the second-largest economy, and is awash in American dollars. It’s more than about time we cut the cord, and for China to pay its fair share.

As for cheap goods, there are plenty of other countries, Vietnam and Bangladesh, to name only two, that would be ecstatic to fill the void. Trade with China has been a sick system. If we have to take some bitter medicine in the short run to fix it, I say the American people can handle it.

Art Todd

Kaneohe

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