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Trump’s ‘Madman Theory’ of Trade with China

Economist Patrick Chovanec says it could still work, but the president could play a much better hand by bringing in U.S. allies.

By , a deputy news editor at Foreign Policy.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He shakes hands with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer alongside U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin after trade talks between the two countries broke down on May 10.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He shakes hands with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer alongside U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin after trade talks between the two countries broke down on May 10.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He shakes hands with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer alongside U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin after trade talks between the two countries broke down on May 10. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

A year of contentious trade talks between China and the United States blew up on Friday as the Trump administration jacked up tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars on Chinese imports and trade negotiators failed to reach any sort of agreement after two days of talks in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, launched a tweetstorm about using tariff revenues (paid by American consumers) to buy off American farmers hurt by Chinese retaliation.

Keith Johnson is a deputy news editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @KFJ_FP

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