Having broadcast his intention to confront the Chinese over the trade deficit and the South China Sea, Trump has apparently changed his tune. Now, he’s talking to Xi in a more traditional and diplomatic way. Is this a genuine change of course?
It is a mistake to attach much importance to anything that Trump says at any given time, as he tells lies in order to remain unpredictable. On the other hand, if he has said something consistently throughout his life, you can probably rely on it. There is no doubt that he actually believes the neo-mercantilist garbage that he has been spouting for the last thirty years, so a confrontation with China is inevitable, regardless of what he is saying today.