The US-China confrontation.

A (Trade) War with China is Inevitable  . . . "Since coming into office, Trump has targeted China for being an unfair, predatory trading partner. Trump has picked up the protectionist rhetoric that was traditionally the province of the Democratic Party, outflanking the pro-labor elements of the left and thereby gaining the support of the Rust Belt states in 2016. The defeat of Hillary Clinton was not only a defeat for the leading Democratic contender for the White House, but also marked the end of the comfortable and very corrupt consensus around supporting “free trade” with totalitarian police states like China.
"Each time that Trump has imposed tariffs on Chinese products or set a deadline for the ongoing negotiations, the financial markets have quavered in fear, reflecting the abhorrence investors have for disruptive change. But most investors looking at China also reflect an infantile naivete when it comes to the true nature of the communist state. “When the time comes to hang the capitalists, they will bid against each other for the sale of the rope,” Vladimir Lenin is reported to have said." . . .

U.S. Hikes Tariffs on China to 25 Percent as Trade Deficit Narrows, Negotiations Continue  . . . "On Friday, the U.S. hiked tariffs on China from 10 percent to 25 percent, a sharp increase worth more than $200 billion amid ongoing trade negotiations. At 9:00 AM EST, the world’s largest and second largest economies will resume talks.
“ 'Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner – there is absolutely no need to rush – as Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods & products,” President Trump tweeted early Friday morning. “These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S.' ” . . .

. . . "The Chinese vowed to retaliate.

“China deeply regrets that it will have to take necessary countermeasures,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

"While Wall Street and D.C. have largely opposed President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, it is clearly working to reduce the trade gap between the two nations." . . .