Observations form the Financial Times lead editorial today  “Trump’s Erratic China Policy Risks Backfiring” ——-

• Unfortunately, President Donald Trump’s approach to China is so erratic that it alarms US allies.
• Trump is looking at making it easier to sue the Chinese government for damages in US courts. While such an action might be tempting for businesses efforts to secure financial reparations from China is  dubious under international law — and would almost certainly retaliation.
• The Trump administration’s policies towards China are part of a broader U.S  assault on the international rules-based order.
• The broader difficulty is that the Trump administration’s goal is not to compel China to follow international rules — an aim they would support — but to destroy the rules.
•  The White House has pulled the US out of the Paris climate accord, the Iran nuclear deal and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and is deliberately hobbling both the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization. And the president has threatened to impose tariffs on Germany and Japan — and has expressed skepticism about NATO and hostility towards the EU.

 https://www.ft.com/content/b9a063aa-9057-11ea-9207-ace009a12028