US-China trade war; More on the Xinjiang "re-education" camps; Xi Thought study groups; Democracy can be bad for Belt & Road Initiative projects; "Dying to Survive" blockbuster

The first rounds of US-China tariffs go into effect at 12:01 AM EST on Friday, or just about 13 hours from now. 

You never know what President Trump may decide and announce on Twitter between now and then but so far there are still no public indications or even semi-credible rumors of any serious conversations underway between the two governments to forestall the tariffs.

I worry that Trump has underestimated Beijing's resolve, and that in fact believed that his "friendship" with Xi would keep China from retaliating, and that some of Trump's advisors have been telling him that the Chinese will have to cave quickly because otherwise their economy will collapse in the face of US tariffs. I would place those things into the category of "dangerous, wishful thinking". 

Secretary of State Pompeo is off to Pyongyang today. It would be surprising if Kim and Xi have not been talking about ways to leverage the US-DPRK talks to pressure Trump to modify his approach to US- China trade issues.

The US …