From CTH:
China must lose first before the negotiations can begin. The baseline within the negotiation must be reset. Once the baseline position is reset, then, and only then, can forward negotiation be viewed by the Chinese as a gain. This is the only way to get the Chinese to agree to any terms.
If the baseline losses to China are not currently firmed/cemented, such that Beijing and Xi Jinping see their current position as the standard, then President Trump and Bob Lighthizer need to wait longer before engaging.
Big Panda must see their diminished bamboo forest as the natural, current, and diminishing forecast status. Only then will Panda engage in negotiations. China must be in a seemingly perpetual stasis of losing before they will contemplate their need to achieve gains.
This is an economic and geopolitical battle that requires nerves of steel and an incredible amount of cunning and strategy. As President Trump resets the baseline, China will make multiple simultaneous moves to counter any potential losses.
President Trump, Secretary Ross and U.S.T.R. Lighthizer must think well ahead of China (they have); and make moves early in the conflict (they have); long before China realizes they are being confronted (they did). {Go Deep} As we saw with the DPRK showdown Trump was several moves ahead of Xi, and blocked the counter-offense position of the Red Dragon before it was deployed.
President Trump will not back down from his position; the U.S. holds all of the leverage and the issue must be addressed. President Trump has waited three decades for this moment. This President and his team are entirely prepared for this.
Thanks for the astute observations and putting them down here - a lot of folks need to read what you wrote.