U.S. policy toward China has shifted from economic engagement to competition and decoupling in the last decade. Americans are wary of China’s economic rise and the fairness of bilateral trade relations with the U.S., but they acknowledge the importance of trade relations and remain skeptical of tariffs. A Pew Research survey found that 46 percent of respondents believe China benefits more from trade with the United States than the other way around.

The rise of Chinese private enterprise into the upper tier of global industry is one of the defining economic stories of our era. China's most competitive companies are winning global market share by dominating battery technology and pioneering electric vehicles. The real threat to China's corporate champions is not protectionism but bad cholesterol at home.

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Deputy Foreign Minister François Chih-chung Wu says Taiwan is committed to building stable cooperation mechanisms with the international community. 70 percent of the world’s semiconductors and 95 percent of advanced chips are made in Taiwan. Beijing's attempts to seize Taiwan's core semiconductor technology indicate its intent to dominate international technology.

Deputy Foreign Minister François Chih-chung Wu said Taiwan is committed to the Taiwan Strait status quo and avoidance of tension escalation. Wu made the statements in an interview with Switzerland’s Radio and Television (SRF) when talking about democratic values and regional security.

Iran's blockade of Strait of Hormuz caused an energy crisis and fears of a global recession. President Trump agreed to a two-week cease-fire between Iran and the U.S. on Tuesday night. China will have paid close attention to Trump's pain threshold. China wants to seize Taiwan, but a blockade would be worse than a war.

Cheng Li-wun, the head of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT), is leading a delegation to China from April 7 to 12. Cheng is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Beijing hopes to influence, and perhaps alter, some of Donald Trump's assumptions about Taiwan. Beijing is contesting who gets to define peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Stratechery Plus is a subscription service. It costs $15 per month or $150 per year. It offers the Stratechery Update, Stratecher Interviews, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Dithering, Greatest of All Talk, and Asianometry podcasts.