(CNN) China is doing its best to win the competition, if not a war -- trade, diplomatic, political or even military -- with the United States. This suggests that China, digging in for the long haul against Trump, believes it can win any trade war he'd care to unleash. None of these are good signs for an America heading into what could be a trade war as damaging to the US as it is to China. Whether such deep motives can be read into Trump's apparent determination to provoke an all-out tariff war with China is doubtful. Donald Trump would do well not to ignore signs of such determination from a most adroit, inventive and resolute adversary.

Source: CNN September 13, 2018 15:45 UTC