At the heart of the economic and trade tensions between China and the United States lies a narrative that, in trying to besmirch China’s image, actually places the blame squarely on the US.

The narrative is that China has been a leech on the US, taking advantage of it in whatever way it can to free-ride its achievements, and that by doing so it threatens the US’ shining glory as the pinnacle of human progress.

The principal proponent of this narrative has been the White House’s chief trade adviser, Peter Navarro, who has been the driving force behind the trade war with China during the president’s first term and the driving force behind the tariff attack of his second administration, which is aimed at coercing the US’ trade partners to align with the US in decoupling from China.

Ironically, Navarro is likely to go down in infamy as having done as much damage to the US’ status, credibility and economy, as various US administrations have with their financially draining and morally bankrupting military adventurism in the name of “American exceptionalism”.

Having architectured the tariff war, he has not only cashed out any vestiges of trust the international community may have........

© The Frontier Post (Editorial)