Trump Has Taken His First Step Toward a Trade Conflict with China

Candidate Trump might be disappointed in President Trump. On Monday, the man who once to label the Chinese government a currency manipulator and a 45-percent tariff on Chinese imports, who once China of plundering the U.S. economy in the “greatest theft in the history of the world,” his top trade official to investigate whether to launch an investigation into whether China is, in fact, a thief, and whether it should be punished. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will now look into allegations that China is stealing technology and intellectual property from U.S. companies. The process could result in the U.S. government retaliating economically against China outside the bounds of the World Trade Organization, where the United States has typically resolved trade disputes