Michael Schuman, Columnist

Is Trump Playing Into Xi's Hands?

Tough U.S. measures allow the Chinese leader to be the economic nationalist he wants to be.

March 22, 2018 at 6:00 PM UTC

Michael Schuman is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub and the author of "Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World" and "The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth."

Taken for a ride?
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

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U.S. President Donald Trump has finally carried out his threats on trade with China, announcing on Thursday the start of a process that will lead to sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports and restrictions on Chinese investments. Trump hopes to compel a recalcitrant China to end a range of unfair business practices and open its market wider to U.S. companies, thus reducing the large U.S. trade deficit.

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