As the trade war escalates, here's a roadmap for the great US-China divorce

The US and China have talked officially of resolution, but realistically, the red lines laid out by both sides make a negotiated settlement difficult to envision

As the trade war between the US and China drags on with new tariffs and no end in sight, we need to ask ourselves: What do they want? A fundamental objective for both is to become less reliant on the other. The trade war should thus be reframed as a conscious uncoupling.

Behind the rhetoric from both sides lies a profound distrust. US suspicion stems from two specific issues. China is increasingly seen as a national security threat that fails to play by the rules. The Trump administration’s stance has spurred debate over whether it was a mistake to allow admittance