The trade war with China is not really working, this is why.

First of all, you need to see it from the perspective of Adam Smith. Adam Smith coined the way we do international trade today. He believed that, if the trade is free, it will give everybody a good chance to compete with each of their virtues. Making a market that everybody were happy in and could prosper for.

At the other hand, he believed, that the producers of goods, were supposed to be loyal to the nations they produced things in.

Like Apple, they used to make all their things in China, now they have started to move some production back to the US. Out of loyalty to the US as a common Democratic project. Thank you Apple, we appreciate that.

So, my idea was to commend and help and do everything we can for the producers of goods, that are loyal to the US. It worked, wonders in fact, it has never been better in the US economically.

So, how do the Chinese screw with this system (sorry for the strong wording). They do it by not really allowing free trade to China, while as they abuse free trade in the world. In other words, we allow them to sell to us, but they do not allow us to sell to them. Yes, within limits, and often at the price of knowledge drain.

So in a sense, they are too protectionistic, and also uses the state to make business.

Thereby giving them an unfair advantage. So, in essence, they are not playing fair.

I do not know about Europe, but I do not think that we are trying to play unfair with the US, not a lot at least, and not in the amount the Chinese are doing it. So, we should not trade blows.

But China is not accepting and following the rules, and should therefor be punished.

G-d bless the will to be sharp on priority.