And it's gotten worse since this article: U.S. trade deficit races to more than nine-year high | ReutersHow do you think they pay for everything? China has more than half a billion people in dire poverty. Their dependence on U.S. trade isn't going away soon. It's that leverage that Trump is using to make it a more equal trade partnership.
Here's a more current report-
U.S. trade deficit jumps to six-month high in August | Reuters
Tariffs won't stop America from buying Chinese goods because even with tariffs, the Chinese goods are still cheaper than domestic products. On the other side however, China is importing LESS from the US because they can buy it elsewhere on the world market.