In the tariff war between China and the United States, a lot of chatter in the Pravda Media is about Xi Jinping's defiance, his outreach to European countries and other less important but collectively significant developing countries, and his retaliatory moves against America. 

They make it sound like China has a lot of cards to play in the trade war with America. 

China has put civilian government officials on a "wartime footing” and ordered a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at encouraging other countries to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. https://t.co/rZWU2zsARQ

— The Japan Times (@japantimes) April 14, 2025

Collectively, these stories tell a tale: Donald Trump may have bitten off more than he can chew in his economic war with China. Trump's moves will hollow out the American middle class! Europe will choose China over the United States! We are doomed!

The Chinese are putting up a very brave front, until recently matching Trump's blow for blow and pointing to Chinese willingness to endure everything up to eating grass for a year to defeat their adversaries. The Chinese plan for the long term! 

Yeah, well, not so much. 

It all sounds impressive, and some pissed-off ally countries have even hinted at turning Chinaward as a response to what they consider a stab in the back from President Trump. 

China’s container bookings to plunge up to 60% as US tariffs wipe out tradehttps://t.co/90A7GGHqUV

— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) April 16, 2025

Except...Reality. Our ticked-off allies are acting like 6-year-old children angry at their parents, threatening to run away. As much as they resent the United States, they are utterly dependent upon us and chose to be so. They are militarily weak and have sputtering economies that rely on the US as an export market. The United States, not themselves, defends its sea lines of communication, and they all know that China is a predatory power and not a reliable economic partner. 

"Experts say the relationship bt #Europe & #China is rooted in a decades-old reality: a Chinese marketplace effectively closed to many EU cos bc of regulatory burdens & the Party’s buttressing of Chinese cos...The EU trade deficit w/