Does Trump Really want a Trade War?
A number of interesting conclusions can be made here. The first is that Trump thinks the U.S. might be able to win a trade war against Europe but not China. He might believe that the USA can get concessions from the EU with tariffs, while China may be rich enough to ignore the tariffs.
The European Union is a weak alliance that is plagued by economic stagnation and reeling from Brexit. The Peoples Republic of China is a strong unified state and the world’s second-largest economy.
The Chinese have one other edge in a trade war that might prove crucial. The People’s Republic is an authoritarian regime with a Leninist government. Neither Xi Jinping nor the politburo has to face reelection. They might be able to win a trade war by simply waiting for the next U.S. election.