I’m used to the “walk softly and carry a big stick” school of diplomacy, but he’s a businessman used to negotiations that involve getting the job done, and it’s clear that the CCP is not the walk softly type anyway. Instead, the CCP is a narcissist trying to gaslight the whole world. The rules of polite society do not apply.
You raise an interesting point about Trump.
The most fascinating thing about Reagan was and will always be his innate understanding of the USSR. Conventional wisdom said he was wrong. Our intelligence agencies said he was wrong. The media said he was wrong. Our allies said he was wrong.
In the end, he was right about the fragile nature of the communist stranglehold on the USSR. He instinctively understood the weakness of communism and the flaws. While China is in much better shape financially than the USSR was in the 80’s, they too have weaknesses and their international brand has never been as tarnished as it now is.
We will see how this plays out because Trump has the same instincts that few acknowledged in Reagan. It is a dangerous and high-stakes game.