If that's true (and I don't think it is,) then I would be in agreement that we not trade with the Chinese. The Cuban embargo is justified in my mind for that reason. Ditto South Korea.
The Chinese government owns a wide swath of businesses but then again what’s the difference between the government owning it or just ruling it by diktat like in this country?
Free trade applies to individuals. Whether that individual trades with another individual or a government or a church or a business it is still a choice best left to a free individual. I would not ban trade with any country unless we are at war with them. At war means the kind were Congress declares it and the President conducts it.
Free trade is a simple concept that means allowing an individual to buy and sell as he see fits. Anything less means government interference or outright command and control.
I will never understand why so many people on a website named Free Republic wish o have the same government that brought you the IRS, Pentagon, EPA, OSHA, FTC, FDA, FAN, FRED, SALLY MAE, FCC, FDIC, also be placed in charge of telling us who we may and may not trade with or setting the terms of trade.
Not only is it true.
A significant proportion of those factories we “trade” with, are in fact owned by the Peoples Liberation Army.
Yet many otherwise sensible conservatives, simply are determined not to see. Brainwashed that anything called “free trade” simply cannot be a bad thing.
Except what we have is not free, nor “trade”. Trade implies reciprocity. Do we sell things to China?
Recall the Emperor’s new set of clothes; all those people, agreeing the Emperors new clothes were so very nice.