, Columnist
Trump Is Misjudging China’s Resolve on Trade
You can’t defeat an opponent you don’t understand.
Trouble as far as the eye can see.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Donald Trump’s strategy in his trade war with China boils down to inflicting sufficient economic pain to eventually force Beijing’s leaders into concessions the president wants — whatever those may be. That’s the obvious purpose of the tariffs he plans to impose on another $200 billion of Chinese-made goods.
Trump may find with China, though, that there’s an inverse relationship between pressure and cooperation. Rather than bringing China’s leadership to heel, the extra duties are likely to prompt a digging in of heels. That means a longer trade war, with greater damage to the U.S. economy.