Nyt: 'Trump surrenders leadership on global economy, China wins'

But for the American paperthe political damage was already done: the episode showed how fragile the global trade order has become and how unpredictable US strategy is.

According to the analysis, Trump's strategy is having the effect of moving historical allies away from the United States and pushing them to seek alternative partnerships, particularly with China.

The newspaper reports how several governments have tried to 'appease' Trump in recent years: lowering their own tariffs, accepting higher tariffs on exports to the US, signing agreements to avoid worse sanctions. But this approach has not stopped the escalation.

The only real exception was Beijing, which responded blow by blow to US tariffs, damaging key sectors of the US economy and forcing Trump to step back. A lesson that, according to the New York Times, Europeans may now take seriously.

For the American newspaper, the crisis over Greenland marks the most serious moment in transatlantic relations in recent years. Trump openly asked Denmark to sell the island to the US, claiming that Washington would guarantee global security in return. This prompted the EU to formally suspend work on the trade agreement with the US, an unprecedented response.

Protests in Greenland - with signs 'Greenland is not for sale' - have become a symbol of political resistance to American pressure. A senior European official told the New York Times that if the issue was resolved, the trade agreement could be salvaged. But the episode has left deep wounds.

The New York Times article then parallels Trump's speech with the one Xi Jinping gave in Davos in 2017. Back then, the Chinese leader presented himself as a defender of globalisation, warning that protectionism is tantamount to 'locking oneself in a dark room'.

Today, the paper notes, China appears - at least rhetorically - more committed than the United States to supporting multilateralism, global trade and international cooperation.

According to economist Eswar Prasad, quoted by the newspaper, Beijing 'wants to take on the role of the adult in the room', while Washington continues to show hostility.

Not because China has become a model - the paper recalls internal repression, state subsidies and military pressure on Taiwan - but because the US is voluntarily relinquishing global leadership.

Trump also frontally attacked theEuropean green transition, calling it a "scam" and claiming an American return to fossil fuels. He joked about Europe buying Chinese wind turbines, claiming that Beijing 'laughs' by selling green technology to Europeans.

The New York Times points out, however, that China is investing heavily in renewables, progressively reducing its dependence on coal, while Europe and China remain industrial competitors, especially in the field of electric cars and batteries.

According to Adam Tooze, an economic historian quoted in the newspaper,the only real obstacle to a structural rapprochement between Europe and China is Ukraine. Beijing's refusal to condemn Russian aggression makes a real strategic alliance impossible. Without that war, Tooze explains, one could imagine a kind of 'Eurasian multilateralism'.

The New York Times describes Trump's approach as a modern version of the 'madman theory': appear unpredictable in order to gain concessions. Too bad this strategy comes at a cost: it increases distrust of Washington, pushes allied countries to seek alternatives, and makes China the 'lesser evil' for many global players.

As Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations observes, this crisis will reinforce the sceptics in Europe who think that 'no matter how much you concede to Trump, he will always want more'.