> we're talking about a trade war that the US started and
> then escalated
The trade war had already started years before it was declared. China has been strategically taking down Western industries and forcing dependence on them. It was only a matter of time something like this would happen.
> what do you expect China to respond?
Either way this will end the same way, both Countries will have to come to some agreement. The only choice is when. China has had an advantage for quite some time and has gotten away with quite a lot (economic trading status, debt traps, stealing of IP, etc), if they struck a fair deal with the US I'm sure they would write it all off.
