Over the past week, President Trump avoided a trade war with Canada and Mexico. But he escalated a trade war with China.

His reasoning? China has become more powerful in domestic manufacturing than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Britain combined.

Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, explains why China’s dominance as a trading partner has become a threat to Trump’s agenda — and asks whether America will ever be able to catch up.

Guests: Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• For China, President Trump’s moves bring pain, but also potential gains.
• China’s trade surplus has reached a record level: nearly $1 trillion.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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