The Western belief that free trade would cause authoritarian states like China to liberalize has proven false. Instead, this policy created a powerful manufacturing competitor whose interests diverge from the West's. The current era of deglobalization is an unwinding of this flawed foundational premise of the post-war order.

To thrive economically, a nation should pursue two seemingly contradictory paths simultaneously. Domestically, it should deregulate to foster innovation and become an attractive place to build. Internationally, it must use interventionist policies like tariffs to protect its industries from countries that do not operate on free-market principles.

High U.S. tariffs on China serve a strategic purpose beyond economics: to maintain a "structural separation" between China and key American allies like Europe and Japan. This core objective makes a large-scale tariff reset highly unlikely, regardless of summit outcomes.

Lighthizer reframes the modern debate by asserting that the post-WWII era of globalism is the historical anomaly. He argues that from Lincoln to FDR, the 'American system' used tariffs to build the nation's manufacturing base and become the world's largest economy, making recent protectionism a return to a successful precedent.

Unlike previous administrations that used trade policy for domestic economic goals, Trump's approach is distinguished by his willingness to wield tariffs as a broad geopolitical weapon against allies and adversaries alike, from Canada to India.

Former Commerce Secretary Raimondo argues that the US cannot effectively compete with China's economic and technological scale alone. Therefore, the current administration's most significant strategic error is antagonizing essential allies in Europe and Southeast Asia.

The Trump administration's aggressive tariff policies against strategic partners like India are a diplomatic own goal. This economic pressure forces these countries, who are natural rivals to China, to hedge their bets and seek better relations with Beijing, ultimately undermining U.S. strategic interests.

The primary goal of certain US tariffs is not to generate revenue but to strategically weaken China's economy. By incentivizing US businesses to leave China, the US aims to slow its rival's growth, thereby protecting the dollar's global reserve status from the rising yuan.

Far from being a precise tool against China, recent US tariffs act as a blunt instrument that harms America's own interests. They tax raw materials and machine tools needed for domestic production and hit allies harder than adversaries. This alienates partners, disrupts supply chains, and pushes the world towards a 'World Minus One' economic coalition excluding the US.