, Columnist
Give China a Taste of Its Own Bad Trade Medicine
Matching Beijing’s restrictions on foreign investment would be less damaging to the U.S. and more effective.
What you need is a partner.
Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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One of my mottos is: Don’t criticize something unless you have a better idea. I’ve decried President Donald Trump’s tariff tactics, so it’s only fair I offer my own strategy for fighting a trade war with China — one with a bigger chance of success and smaller downside risk.
Trump is right about China but wrong in his method. Yes, Beijing engages in unfair business and trade practices. Yes, something has to be done. But tariffs, bluster and threats aren’t likely to inflict enough damage to compel China to change.