Thread by @davidfickling

Here's the reason I suspect this doesn't work with China.

With Mexico, Trump's trade advisers don't really care.

They're just following orders and hoping they can make things go away in a manner acceptable to his ego.

https://twitter.com/bobdavis187/status/1137164030911614977

So a deal where Trump gets to pretend he's extracted big concessions, AMLO gets to promote his National Guard policy, and the threats all go away in return for some vague promises works for all sides.

With China, the trade advisers really want concessions. They, not Trump, are the extremists.

Trump would be happy to announce "the biggest oil and agriculture deal this nation has ever seen" & exaggerate some vague promises from Beijing to continue its ongoing economic reforms

But it's the best and the brightest who are full of fantasies about Beijing agreeing to remake its economic system and agree humiliating unequal treaties around its freedom to retaliate to tariffs etc.

Let Trump have his deal! Build a damn Trump casino in Hainan and end this.