Trump's deal-making style just doesn't fit with many the deals he needs to cut as President. It works okay when dealing with much weaker players who have no choice but to accept your terms, but it doesn't work with stronger players who have options other than taking the bad deal you're offering them. Rather than adapt his style, though, we're just back to bad Presidenting again.

Makes sense. Bullies pick on people weaker than them, or those they think are weaker than them. Then they pick on the kid that knows krav maga, and get a black eye and bloody nose.

As you say, China wasn't as weak as he expected. I haven't been a fan of China for a long time, seeing them as they enemy that they always have been (well, since at least Chiang). We've made them stronger over the years, allowing them to expand greatly their military. And now we have a psychopath (I suspect), and incompetent moron (I'm certain), making matters worse with every move he makes.

At least he hasn't -yet- abandoned Taiwan or the Philippines (actually installing new anti-ship missiles in the latter).

Just musing here...I wonder if he'll realize that recognizing Taiwan would annoy Xi, and therefore actually do it. I'm not sure what the ramifications of that would be, quite honestly. If it wouldn't automatically trigger a shooting war (I don't know), I'd probably favor that move. But not just to annoy the PRC.