Freddy Gray Freddy Gray

Trump’s Yin and Yang game with China

Ignore the Twitter rants, the real Donald Trump thinks trade peace is about to break out

It should be obvious by now — but somehow isn’t. Whenever @realDonldTrump says something wild, you can bet the real Donald Trump is contemplating something sensible — and vice-versa. Often the Commander-in-Chief does the opposite to what his social media handle has just said. Trump the Twitterer is the yin to Trump President’s yang.

One suspects the Chinese, who invented philosophical dualism, have figured this out by now. That might mean Beijing is less freaked by his latest outbursts than the markets, which are sliding.

Coming into the G7 summit this weekend, Trump has been ramping up the trade war: his response to China’s latest tariff escalation. It’s been pretty spectacular even by the 45th presidency’s standards. The Treasury declared China a ‘currency manipulator’ — because, well, it is. Trump ‘ordered’ major American companies to find an ‘alternative to China’.

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