Trump goes all-in for his biggest deal ever: China
Amid the ruins of the rules-based global trading system that lasted for 80 years, Donald Trump has bet the house on Xi Jinping playing along with his art of the deal.
Trump has declared war on globalism and upended the rules-based global trading system forged after World War II. Now he’s heading for a permanent trade war with China.
It would be the biggest deal of Donald Trump’s incredible life. But will Chinese President Xi Jinping come to the table after the crass New York property developer turned American president has insulted his people and threatened an impossibly high tariff wall against them?
Everyone wants to make a deal, Trump claims. “I am sure we will be able to work a deal,” Trump said of China by Thursday of an astonishing week that shook the world. “We’ll end up working out something that is good for both countries.”
Michael StutchburyEditor-at-largeMichael Stutchbury is editor-at-large. He is in his fourth decade of writing for and editing national newspapers. After nearly six years as editor of The Australian, he returned to the Financial Review as editor-in-chief (2011-2024). Email Michael at mstutchbury@afr.com
