Trump's one-on-one approach to China is a risk to global trade, world peace

Failure of US-China trade talks highlights drawbacks in Trump's trade strategy, which tends to be protectionist, confrontational and negotiated one on one

Not too long ago, President Donald Trump seemed to be on the cusp of a trade deal with China. A couple of threatening tweets and an escalation of tariffs later, the odds of ending the 16-month-old US-China trade war anytime soon have dropped dramatically.

Whether or not American and Chinese trade negotiators ultimately salvage a deal – they are still planning to meet in the coming days – the episode highlights drawbacks in Trump’s trade strategy, which tends to be protectionist, confrontational and negotiated one on one.

Unfortunately, Trump’s policies are only an acceleration of a trend