This is a failure deserving of criticism but unfortunately par for the course for US foreign policy for the entire century.

US presidents always think there is a deal to be made when the reality is the only deal to be made are the terms of the divorce. Lest any ex-Biden staff get chirpy, the Biden administration actually rolled back sanctions on a Chinese law enforcement institution deeply involved in Xinjiang to secure a deal on fentanyl. How did that work out fellas?

The fundamental problem is everyone continues to hold out hope of a deal to solve everything when the only deal is to finalize the divorce. Just as the trade agreement came back as a major failure of Trump I this proves distinctly ominous.

Trump has done more to extricate the US from China than anyone else this century but the temptation of a deal should not derail the divorce