Britain would do well to remember where its power over China lies | Simon Jenkins

It's ridiculous for the government to splurge on defence while it slashes spending on its most valuable asset: culture

The US has backed down in its tariff war with China. Thanks to Donald Trump's egotistical diplomacy, rare earths can again flow one way, soya beans the other, and less of the chemicals used to make fentanyl in between. No matter that the war was Trump's own idea and seems to have been a stunt. The stunt is over. Trump has played his favourite game of dealmaker, much to the discomfort of millions.

Meanwhile Britain still cannot make up its mind if China is its enemy. In 2008 British officials visited the Beijing Olympics authorities to discuss the next games in London in 2012. The government told them to raise" human rights issues, about which the British government was most concerned. I am told the Chinese reacted with sympathy at the Britons' embarrassment at broaching the matter, and then everyone got down to business. Soon China was a friend, certainly to David Cameron and George Osborne.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

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