The dance with the dragon

Sundance at The Conservative Treehouse reports that President Trump has stepped in to prevent additional sanctions against China. Beijing is showing the Panda mask (during Beijing trade negotiations).

President Trump and USTR Lighthizer know the nuance and subtlety needed in the dance with the dragon. The larger issue of DPRK denuclearization, the bottom-line reason for the North Korea sanctions, will be solved within the U.S.-China trade discussion.

…In the dance with the dragon, all action must take place toward the face that is currently visible. Beijing is currently showing the Panda face. The U.S. Team know the Panda mask is just that, a mask. This is one of the nuances in dealing with China.

It would be poor form, and ultimately result in little progress, to approach the Panda mask using dragon hostility. This is not how successful outcomes against the Chinese are reached.

The dragon weapons, in this case brutal sanctions, are saved for when the Panda mask is visibly removed; and/or when the Chinese opponent knows you are aware of their duplicity. Deploy countermeasures too early, and your give an excuse for the Panda to drop the mask.

…President Trump already has the Chinese government controlled economy in a state of worry. That worry keeps companies away from engaging with China. That worry is a negative position for Beijing. The elimination of that worry is a positive outcome. China will negotiate terms if they can gain the value of eliminating economic worry.

Thus, the dance with the dragon.

Read more here.