https://www.deccanherald.com/business/a ... ut-3639379
NYT article from 21 hours ago.
Trump has completely folded in his "trade war" against China. By withholding rare earth mineral exports in retaliation against Trump's 145% tariffs and restrictions on AI-chip exports, China made the US tech, automobile & defense titans squeal. They in turn have successfully pressured Trump to (1) resume chip exports to PRC and (2) drop tariffs to 30% and (3) fire China Hawks from his administration, replacing them with pro-trade (and pro-China) technocrats.
Besides representing a humiliating defeat for America First, it signals an ominous policy shift in US-China relations from the Indian perspective.
Trump has abjectly begged the Chinese for a state visit to Beijing to sign off on new trade deals in person with Xi Jinping later this year. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is already lining up top-shelf American CEOs to join his delegation on Air Force One.
I predict that Trump is going to present this as a historic, Nixon Redux rapprochement of the US with China— basically giving PRC whatever they want on a platter while claiming statesmanship points for himself. Part of what the Chinese will demand (and I'm sure Trump will give) is a joint partnership aimed at containing and reversing India's rise.
Taken together with Trump's new fondness for Asim Munir, a new Nixon-Kissinger moment for the US & China will herald the worst phase in US-India relations since 1971.