Game of chicken

With U.S. President Donald Trump unleashing a relentless barrage of tariffs, the trade war between the world’s two largest economies — the United States and China — is escalating rapidly. Despite a sharp downturn in the U.S. stock market, Trump is pressing ahead with the tariffs drive, taking effect on April 9. China, now facing a cumulative tariff burden of 104 percent, has vowed to fight to the end. As the full-blown clash between Washington and Beijing threatens to upend the global trading order, Korea — heavily reliant on exports and suffering a leadership vacuum — is walking a tightrope, forced to persuade the United States amid growing uncertainty. [PARK YONG-SEOK]