Trump on April 2 stunned the world with massive tariffs that he said would prevent countries like China from “ripping off” the U.S. Chinese leader Xi Jinping ditched official caution and issued a patriotic message casting doubt on whether American voters could bear as much hardship as the Chinese.

Trump has defended his tariff strategy as a way to restore U.S. manufacturing and push trading partners to eliminate what he calls unfair barriers to American goods. Why It Matter