Trade

“If we do, that’s fine. If we don’t, that’s fine.”

Written by SK Ashby

When I casually remarked that I'm not sure what the point of holding more trade talks is, I did not necessarily anticipate that Trump would imply that he doesn't know what the point is either or that he would float the idea of canceling talks.

President Donald Trump said talks with China planned for next month could be called off after the trade war between the world’s biggest economies abruptly escalated in recent days.

“We’ll see whether or not we keep our meeting in September,” Trump said as he left the White House Friday for a fundraiser in the Hamptons. “If we do, that’s fine. If we don’t, that’s fine.

Trump is saying more here than he probably realizes.

He's trying to appear confident, but this is a signal not just to us but to the Chinese that he does not take their talks seriously.