Tariffs a gift for Chinese leader

[BlueWavePsych]

Xi is portraying his country as a champion of free trade, a backer of multilateral institutions, and making comparisons with the world's other superpower which is seen as trashing both of these.

Just last week, China's leader was sitting down with chief executives from big international corporations – including many from Europe – and the imagery was clear. The US under Donald Trump = chaos, trade destruction, national self-interest. China under Xi Jinping = stability, free trade, global cooperation.

The Chinese government has already mobilised its state media sector to attack this latest round of tariffs from the Trump Administration.

People may quibble with the Chinese Communist Party's reading of where the world sits, but every time Trump takes measures like these, it makes Xi's sales pitch easier to deliver.

Punitive or a gift? How five big economies see new Trump tariffs

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq80vwj2092o

[Dave Bowman]

1. I wonder if Xi is fond of little girls, like Mao was.