SHANGHAI/BEIJING – US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing in May is none of her business, says Chinese salesperson Yu Yangxian, even though a large share of the electric lockers and vending machines sold by her company are destined for the US.

“As long as the United States continues to trade, it will have to do business with us,” said Ms Yu, whose company uses a strategy of partially passing on added costs to US consumers. “China’s supply chains and the product quality are strong.”

While tariffs still matter, she said the company emerged from a turbulent 2025, when levies briefly rose to triple-digits, with its US client base largely intact and, like many Chinese exporters, gaining new markets globally.

That shows how competitive and resilient Chinese manufacturing has become, Ms Yu added, by following a long-time national strategy of self-sufficiency to build nearly complete domestic supply chains across industries.

“Whether he comes to negotiate or to declare a fight, it does not pose a major threat to us,” she added, speaking of Mr Trump.

Expanding in Europe, South America, South-east Asia and Africa is the other prong of her firm’s strategy to cope with Mr Trump’s tariffs and the rising prices of raw materials brought by the Iran war, Ms Yu said.

It replicates Beijing’s national game plan.