Wow, this is extremely interesting. From the article:

"China reached into the U.S. heartland in its escalating trade war over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, using an advertising supplement in Iowa’s largest newspaper to highlight the impact on the state’s soybean farmers as “the fruit of a president’s folly.”

The four-page section in Sunday’s Des Moines Register, which carried the label “paid for and prepared solely by China Daily, an official publication of the People’s Republic of China,”

One of the biggest problems with regards to the allegations that the Russians influenced the last presidential election is that they used social media to present negative information about Hillary Clinton to Americans.This was intended to divide Americans and influence their opinions. 

The only difference with this ad is that the Chinese are being up front and stating that it's them presenting the anti Trump narrative, clearly intending to have an influence and divide Americans. 

There are several reasons for them to be doing this. The obvious one is for the effect but because we have "freedom of the press' here, they can do this. Imagine if Trump tried the same thing in China........no way Ray could it happen.

Also, our own press/media bashing the president constantly has set a precident for what's acceptable. Why wouldn't they jump in and get a piece of the action to advance their agenda?

Am not sure about this though. This could be counterproductive for China.  Trump supporters already despise the American media for criticizing Trump. However, when another country jumps in and starts paying for negative political ads,  running negative stuff about the president and his policies you are going to trigger some very defensive posturing that really ticks off many folks.

What do you guys think?

Probably very little influence.  But if China has to be upfront on their identity, I can see this backfiring on them by energizing Trump's base.

Consider this. China can only get about 40% of it's needed bean imports from Brasil and other suppliers. Yet they need to maintain among their people, that the central government of China, is going to provide for the people. So they are in a bind. And they can't afford to not buy our beans. Lest their citizens starve. Not that such a thing is an issue with the Chinese government. 

great summary metmike....thanks. It is very peculiar that China is so in tune with various media tactics that the left has been using. And bold enough to try it right here in the Midwest.....hell if they used a tactic like this on either coast the libs would agree and symphoize with them

We have already taxed the 150 billion in exports that both China and US sell to one another.  Now it really begins to bite into China.  Hold firm Trump.  They will crumble.  If they won't sell us rare earths metals, they get no food at all.  We have 150 million jobs to take back.  Get on with it.  The blue wave ain't going to happen.

For years politicians lamented the trade imbalance with China.  Maybe decades.  Yet not one of them did anything of substance about it, other than give it lip service.  Made for great sound bites for re-election.  "I'm tough against China".  Hahaha.

Here comes Trump who turns Washington up on it's ear and is doing all their dirty work.  All they can do is say he is unbalanced and not fit for office, etc etc.  I'm not going to excuse the fact that he is boorish and tone deaf, but give the man his due.  

He took a tiger by the tail and is doing what no other politician had the cajones to do.  I, for one, fully support his actions on tariffs.  Sending 100s of billions of dollars, year after year to another country, to do things for us that we can do ourselves, will drive our country right down the drain.  

To all those people who say this isn't the way to address an issue with another country.  I say, there have been numerous administrations before Trump who did nothing.  Less than nothing.  If they knew a better way, they did nothing about it.  The &*^&(* has hit the fan and the game is on.  

Yes, interesting.  Good comments made here in this thread too.

China felt so confident in their plans to rival - and then displace - the US as the world's most powerful county, that they did not even try to hide what they were planning to do.  Their faith in the incompetence and corruptness of US politicians - and in the powerful interests that bought those politicians - made them unafraid.  They were like bulls riding a huge bull market.  You could even call their attitude one of entitlement.

And along came Donald J. Trump.

Our choice could not be more clear.  Do we continue to allow China to compete with us all around the world - using our money to do so?  As farmers, do we choose to send hundreds of billions of dollars to China - every single year - and watch them invest that money that we sent in South America and now Africa?  Do we allow them to steal our intellectual property - also using the massive amounts of cash we send to them each year?  Do we allow this - knowing exactly where that road will take us in the very near future?

Now, being a realist, I know that Donald J. Trump could very well be a counter-trend move in this "market."  The trend is clear.  Chances are, the globalists will prevail, and the trend will re-establish itself.

But shouldn't we at least try to reverse the trend - rather than simply give up?

     It's a crime, worthy of a long investigation when people from Russia do this (using social media) before an election.......when  the media backed candidate(Clinton) loses.

But when China does the same thing, using print media and in the open, it's completely acceptable.............when the target is the same target which the media is out to destroy.

https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-09-24/iowans-get-giant-ad-china-their-sunday-newspaper

                       

One thing that we can say about this topic...........China and the US media are "on the same page"

But, we are to believe that Russia is our arch enemy, intent on destroying America????

But - there is a difference.  A significant difference, IMHO.  China here makes no pretense that this isn't them doing it.  As long as we know it is China doing it, we can evaluate the message accordingly.

It seems obvious that they REALLY want Trump to back off.  It seems obvious that they are worried.

I see your good point cfdr, thanks for making it.

Being up front is doing it thru the correct channels vs pretending to be entities that you are not. 

Unless you're trading currencies then it has some bearing.

And the winner of Trump's trade war folly...it ain't US agriculture.

http://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/us-china-trade-war-winner-brazil-soybean-exports-192832131.html