U.S. President Donald Trump is an avid fan of golf, where the winner is decided over a few hours and 18 holes. When it comes to China, though, the game could last much longer.
It's easy to dismiss Beijing's anger over the trade war when it shows up in the shrieking contortions of state-media propaganda and a privately produced song that's gone viral with its warnings of beating its rivals "to bits." There are even reports Chinese television has switched to showing anti-American movies.
But while the U.S. has economic (tariffs) and corporate (Huawei) clout against China, Beijing has large chips of its own, and this dispute could persist as the tit-for-tat mood grows. Witness Xi Jinping's very public visit to a rare earths facility. The U.S. relies on China for about 80% of its rare earths imports.
And behind this fight is the broader struggle of two large countries over how they will fit together in the world decades from now. China's envoy to the European Union, Zhang Ming, made that point yesterday when he emphasized the longevity of Chinese civilization. China, he said, is playing a very long game and sees the trade war within that frame.
"We have been holding on for 5,000 years," Zhang said. "Why not another 5,000 years?"
—Enda Curran
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