Why Donald Trump’s wall will be around China, not Mexico

If there was any doubt Donald Trump would build a wall if elected, it was put to rest at the start of the first US presidential debate this week. Not a Mexican border wall though, but a Chinese one.

Seven seconds into Trump’s opening remarks and he was already ripping into China. “Our jobs are fleeing the country…If you look at what China is doing [to the US] in terms of making our product, they’re devaluing their currency and there’s nobody in our government to fight them,” The Donald roared.

Even though Trump has spent more time bashing Mexicans and Muslims than talking about the China “threat” on the campaign trail, he’s made it clear that he intends to raise tariffs on Chinese exports and punish Beijing for being “the world’s greatest” currency manipulator. That means a tariff wall – and it may dwarf the one he wants to build along the US-Mexican border.

Trump even invoked the Great Wall of China to justify the feasibility of his Mexican wall – pointing out that the Chinese version was seven times longer and that the ancient Chinese didn’t have the benefit of modern construction equipment. Critics quickly pointed out that it took centuries to build the Great Wall, and that it wasn’t that effective in stopping northern invaders.