‘To my country’: Why Chinese investors are the buying dip amid trade war with the US

As US-China trade tensions heat up, a new wave of patriotic investing is sweeping across China. Spurred by former President Donald Trump‘s tariff threats, everyday citizens are entering the stock market—not for profit, but to show support for their country. From designers to teachers and traders, retail investors are pouring money into sectors tied to China’s national agenda, turning the market into a symbol of resilience and unity.
Cao Mingjie, a home designer from China’s Guangdong province, had never traded stocks before US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” speech on April 2. The announcement of “reciprocal tariffs” that ramped up the trade war between the US and China pushed Cao to change his mind. He decided to invest 2,000 yuan ($274) each month in the local stock market—not for profit, but to show his solidarity with Beijing in the face of the escalating trade dispute.
“The goal isn’t to make money. It’s about contributing to my country,” Cao said, explaining his decision to open trading accounts and back the Chinese market after the tariffs hit Chinese stocks. “In this trade war, every individual should stand by the country until the end.”
According to Reuters, Cao is not alone. Retail investors across China are joining a growing movement to defend the stock market, which has become another front in the widening Sino-US conflict. They are pouring money into stocks, particularly those linked to sectors benefiting from China’s national agenda, such as defense, consumer goods, and semiconductors. This surge of “patriotic” buying marks a shift for retail investors, typically known for their speculative trading, and is seen as a welcome development by Chinese authorities trying to stabilize the capital markets amid the trade war’s uncertainties.
Since the sharp drop in Chinese stocks on April 4, retail investors have poured 45 billion yuan into the market, reversing the outflows seen earlier in the trade conflict, data from financial information provider Datayes shows. This reflects a broader trend of domestic confidence returning, supported by state-backed efforts to stabilize the market.
The coordination between private and state investors—who were previously at odds during the 2015 market crash and the crackdown on technology companies—appears more unified now. As Trump threatens even more drastic tariffs, Chinese officials have taken proactive steps, with top brokerages pledging to steady prices and numerous companies unveiling share buybacks to bolster market confidence.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged government officials to take stronger actions to stabilize the stock market, and the efforts seem to be paying off. China’s stock market has rebounded by 8% since the low of April 7, while US stocks have fallen over 8% in the same period.
“We think China’s A-share market is of greater strategic importance,” said Meng Lei, equity strategist at UBS Securities. “Patriotic bets have meaningfully improved investor sentiment.”
Many individual investors, like Zhou Lifeng from Ningxia in China’s northwest, have vowed to continue investing regardless of the losses they may incur. “Being patriotic means holding on to your stocks,” Zhou, a mountain climber, said. He owns a large portfolio, including consumer and defense stocks, and plans to keep adding more.
Others, like restaurant operator Shu Hao, have also pledged significant investments, motivated by domestic companies’ efforts to support exporters affected by tariffs. Retail giants such as JD.com, Alibaba’s Freshippo, and supermarket chains like CR Vanguard have launched initiatives to help these companies shift their focus to local markets.
Even professionals are shifting their strategies, with hedge fund manager Yang Tingwu pouring his remaining funds into Chinese stocks. “This is war, only without gun smoke,” Yang said, emphasizing the gravity of the trade conflict. “You’re placing bets not just on your portfolio, but on the fate of your country.”
Some investors are making more personal commitments, like Nancy Lu, a teacher in Jiangsu province. Despite her portfolio “bleeding,” she remains resolute: “I won’t sell a single stock. I’ll help defend the market for our country. I have never felt so proud as a retail investor.”