Does anyone else notice a difference between:
“China does not wish to fight a trade war, nor will China initiate a trade war, but we can handle any challenge and will resolutely defend the interests of our country and our people."
And:
"Trade wars are good and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!”
Trump’s unilateral approach to trade issues will inevitably isolate us and lead to conflict.
The issues of China’s overproduction of steel – which is being curbed to combat pollution – and its dumping of steel under cost have already been noted, but I think we might be better off working through the WTO or through trade blocs.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick”
The Chinese knows “the art of not losing face”, AKA “not making a complete and utter fool of yourself”
Rather than read this as forbearance on China’s part it seems more likely that they have Trump’s number and know his tariff talk, like virtually everything else he does, mainly serve as an element of his kayfabe rather than a serious policy problem they have to solve.
That doesn’t mean they won’t respond with some blather and bluff of their own if it serves a real policy goal of their own only that they likely understand, as most of us do, that Trump has no policy goals of his own in any national sense.
…the erratic nature of the Trump presidency can be explained by the interaction of his two compulsions: looking strong and being liked. They sometimes seem to collide, but they are actually of a piece. Both speak of a man for whom the personal is the only kind of political. It is impossible to know what his true policy commitments are because they are secondary. On any given day and at any given moment, his actions are dictated by what, in his eyes, will make him look forceful and bring him accolades.
I thought China didn’t really export that much steel and aluminum to the US. So how is this current Trump propaganda ploy actually getting back at China for it’s currency devaluation? Could one of the media talking heads please ask Donald that and when he’s going to get serious with China over the trade deficit instead of grandstanding?
It’s like some of Trump’s campaign assertions have just dropped off the edge of the flat world. Is China still pushing currency devaluation as Donald asserted in his election campaign? Why isn’t it a priority if he wants to start a trade war?
I think China should just flatly announce to Trump that if he imposes tariffs on any Chinese goods "President-for-life Xi will revoke all Chinese trademarks for Trump Organization products.
Hurt the fatass in his wallet. He’ll change his mind quickly enough.
The U.S. debt to China is $1.2 trillion as of November 2017.
It’s not a trade war, it’s a police action.
Why ask an intelligent question to an idiot?