China Thinks Trump Is Making a Mistake

What’s happening: South Korean, Japanese, and Chinese officials held a trilateral meeting to discuss economic cooperation for the first time in five years. This comes as President Donald Trump placed tariffs of 25 percent on South Korea, 24 percent on Japan, and 54 percent on China.

• Immediately after the meeting, Chinese state media claimed the three countries had agreed to “jointly respond” to Trump’s tariffs — a claim breathlessly reported by the Western press. Except it’s not true: Japan denied any such agreement, and South Korea called the reporting “somewhat exaggerated.”

Catch up: The three countries agreed to revive talks on a free trade agreement — an on-again, off-again effort since the early 2000s. Such a deal would bring their economies — which together account for nearly a quarter of the world’s output — closer together and directly challenge US interests.

• It’s what China wants: The Global Times, a Chinese government-run newspaper, wrote that Japan and South Korea may need closer ties with China. In their words: “US strategies prioritize countering China over building proper stability in Asia.” They continued, “While America positions itself as the defender of the ‘free world,’ it offers limited solutions to the region’s pressing economic change.”

American response: Shortly after the meeting, Japan’s and South Korea’s foreign ministers met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Brussels. Japanese media reported that they discussed China — but the statement released after the meeting does not mention China once. America reiterated “its ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK, backed by America’s unmatched military strength, including its nuclear capabilities.”

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