The United States has an ambivalent relationship with China that ranges from dependency to hostility, but is always wrapped in suspicion. It has become reliant on cheap Chinese imports and even cheaper credit, yet as it struggles with a variety of domestic problems the US seems determined to cling to a self-image that conceives no challenge to its dominance.
But, its confidence tends to be shaken when threatened by spectres that might be real, conjured or delusional. And in a presidential election year, phantoms do often appear.
Economic insecurity can easily lead to protectionism, while perceived dangers to national security can be used to justify...
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