Trump Channels the Worst of China to Beat China
The Huawei arrest and pressure on GM are disturbing, self-defeating developments in the trade war.
Trump and Xi in happier times.
Photographer: AFP Contributor/AFP/Getty Images
To beat China, President Donald Trump seems to think America has to be more like China.
This was brought into relief with the arrest of Wanzhou Meng, the CFO of Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co. Her lawyer today said the U.S. accuses her of helping Huawei violate sanctions against Iran. Noah Smith writes this is a reminder that the truly important trade-war front is not the tariffs Trump obsesses over but the high-tech industry. Its importance is evidenced by how U.S. tech companies and the military are helping guide policy, including an armada of new laws and investment restrictions, suggesting the struggle won’t end soon.