Trump is right to challenge China on trade

Washington

THERE is much to dislike in US President Donald Trump's trade agenda, but he is correct on one subject: China's relentless quest to extort American "intellectual property" - technologies, business methods, patents. Mr Trump took a swipe last week at China's policies by ordering his top trade officials to investigate. Whether he can alter China's behaviour is unclear, but he is right to try, even at the risk of a trade war.

China has high economic ambitions, write David Dollar and Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institution. Its industrial policy, called "Made in China 2025", envisions the country beco…