Liontrust's Williams: Publicity around Trump's trade war will far outweigh long-term economic impact

What is the real impact of escalating China/US tensions?

As we head towards the United States' mid-term elections, investor perceptions about the US relationship with China have changed, writes Mark Williams, head of Asian equities at Liontrust.

While the majority of the world (ourselves included) originally thought that President Donald Trump's trade posturing was just that, posturing, there is a growing belief that he is actually trying to contain China's rise in global stature. Our original view, that China would likely be used as a villain to play to Trump's voter-base, has not been entirely derailed by events, but, as the current trade wars slowly ratchet up with few conciliatory gestures from either side, the likelihood of a quick win obviously recedes. Increased US military pressures also make a rapprochement harder. I...