Donald Trump has again defended tariffs as his dogged, often self-contradictory pursuit of a trade war with China put allies and opponents alike in a difficult spot. “There is no reason for the US consumer to pay the tariffs, which take effect on China today,” Trump tweeted, before offering a convoluted explanation. This is the last, best chance for America and the world to get China to play by the rules.”Intriguingly, the rollcall also quoted Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the Senate: “Hang tough on China, President [Trump]. Strength is the only way to win with China.”Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, another Democrat, said: “China’s cheating has hurt American workers for far too long. Trump said on Monday he plans a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping next month at the G20 summit in Japan.

Source: The Guardian May 13, 2019 18:22 UTC