In private discussions hours before China announced new retaliatory tariffs, the Trump administration warned Chinese officials against such a move, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
The Chinese were also told – once again – that Chinese President Xi Jinping should request a call with US President Donald Trump.
Instead, US officials woke up to news of increased Chinese tariffs and no request for a leader level call. Xi also made comments that only dug him in further.
“For over 70 years, China’s development has relied on self-reliance and hard work — never on handouts from others, and it is not afraid of any unjust suppression,” Xi said according to state broadcaster CCTV during his meeting with the Spanish prime minister.
Allows them to be flexible. If the world or “the world” get collective amnesia about America again and act like Trump is just some unique aberration, they get to work with that, if the rest of the world wakes up to the fact that the US is dangerous, it allows them to work with that instead.