China’s trade war tactics aren’t simply about sweeping rare-earth export restrictions or soybeans. They’re a way to test what Washington values most in negotiations, and where Beijing can gain an upper hand.
This latest friction has ratcheted up tensions to a new level. Each side is limiting what the other needs in the name of national security: High-end chips and semiconductor technology in the case of the US, critical elements in the case of China. It also comes ahead of an