And the president-elect seems to be gearing up for a trade war he no longer needs to fight. Eight years on from the first Trump shock, the global picture is quite different. There’s no longer envy of China, nor the belief in some secret sauce that made ...

The Chinese economy is more dependent on exports, making tariffs more potent, yet it’s less reliant on American markets and increasingly bent on self-sufficiency.

Since the U.S. and China imposed tit-for-tat tariffs in their trade war during Donald Trump's first presidential term, Beijing has taken steps to reduce its reliance on American farm goods in a wider effort to bolster its food security.