Having given it some consideration, I think the more likely scenario is that *if* China opt to place tariffs on the US in the fiat world, Bitcoin, as usual, will be a safe haven from that. Most people are involved with Bitcoin precisely because they don't trust their governments or traditional financial institutions with that crumbling, debt-based, IOU lunacy. We're all here to bypass that. Goal achieved. This thing works. So regardless of their locale, miners aren't going to lower themselves or this wonderful new economy with demands from on high, because it goes against everything that's been built here
We don't know that for sure yet, since we have never been in such circumstances before. As I said earlier, we don't know how many and in what way Chinese miners might react to their country being attacked not verbally only (as what Trump has been doing so far) but economically as well. Why should they care for the rest of the world if their own country is under attack? In any case, I don't think that they will be particularly interested in your propaganda about distrusting governments and traditional financial institutions...
Since the total majority of people involved with Bitcoin are involved exclusively for profits
Incentives are aligned and no law, government or regulatory pressure is going to change that. If anything, Chinese companies would be smart enough to see it as an opportunity to do increased business with the US, potentially driving further Bitcoin adoption and gaining an edge over their fiat-based competitors. "No tariffs here, trade with us". Let the money flow. It's the path of least resistance and it doesn't involve any highly improbable fantasy whitelists that would only serve to harm miner profits. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot if they engaged in such political manoeuvrings. Far better to go against the wishes of the fiat dinosaurs, give them the finger and keep raking in the dough
Further, I have repeated it a few times already that they don't need to totally reject transactions. Raising the fees would suffice as a retaliation of sorts. Also, you say that the miners would be shooting themselves in the foot, but why don't you say that Trump would be shooting himself in the foot too?
Maybe, because he wouldn't be really?