(RNS) — In his usual bombastic style, President Donald Trump described his visit to China with superlatives, as “incredible,” “an amazing time,” “a very historic couple of days.” In reality, the trip amounted to an apology tour as the president retreated from his earlier words and actions toward China.

This time, there was no attempt to bully China; in fact, next to President Xi Jinping, Trump looked weak, almost sycophantic. Threats of higher tariffs were gone. Rather than making demands, Trump was begging for trade deals to salvage the damage his tariffs have done to American farmers, industry and consumers.

Even though the president did not publicly acknowledge that his policies toward China had failed, his actions were a reversal of these policies. The Biden administration was tougher on China than Trump is now. Trump was even unwilling to say that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed.

China, not the United States, was the winner at this summit.

Even though it is embarrassing to see the president of the United States grovel before China, his course correction was necessary.

America’s relations with China have had their ups and downs. American political rhetoric bounces from portraying China as our best friend to our worst enemy. The truth is somewhere in between, but American politicians are not good at nuance.

From the beginning, the U.S. saw China as a trading partner, not a potential colony. It stayed out of the Opium Wars waged by Britain against China in the 19th century. In the 20th century, it fought with China against Japanese imperialism.

China’s turn to communism after the Second World War soured relations, as the U.S. saw it as part of a worldwide conspiracy that threatened Western political and economic interests. Nationalization of the economy and the suppression of human rights were antithetical of American values. Republicans blamed Democrats for “losing China.” American politicians competed over who was tougher on China.

Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, however, grasped an opportunity to split China from the Soviet Union, which with nuclear weapons they saw as a greater threat. They ignored the oppression of the Chinese system and opened China to American business. As China turned to capitalism, political officials and pundits were convinced that democracy would soon follow.

American businesses took advantage of cheap Chinese labor and arrogantly thought that they would always be the top dogs. Meanwhile, China learned from Americans how to run businesses, and it either forced American companies to share their technology or stole it.

As soon as the Chinese businesses were ready, their government would support them against their American competitors until the Chinese were running things and selling their products to Americans.

Once it became clear that capitalism was not going to bring democracy to China, American politicians were caught in a bind. American business wanted investments and trade, but we were dealing with an oppressive regime that did not always observe the rule of law in either politics or business. Human rights, including freedom of religion, were suppressed. Trade deficits grew; American factories closed.

Trump got elected promising to be tougher on China, but he was like a bull in a china shop. China was not intimidated and responded tit for tat to his tariffs. American farmers lost sales to China, while consumers had to endure higher prices. American businesses that used parts manufactured in China suffered from higher costs, making it more difficult to compete internationally.

All of this was made worse by the fact that Trump made no effort to get other nations to join in pressuring China. Instead, he alienated allies by simultaneously launching trade wars on them.

Trump’s failed trade war with China shows how dependent we are on China’s rare earth minerals and other products.

Nor is China the economic weakling of the past whose cheap labor attracted foreign investment. China now has an educated workforce with scientific and technological expertise matching and sometimes surpassing the U.S.

Today, for example, China leads the world in using robotics in industry. It is the leading producer of electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. It is also using artificial intelligence in industrial applications rather than focusing on creating an AI matching human intelligence. We are so far behind in green technology that it would make sense for us to allow China to set up factories in the U.S. just as we allowed Toyota and Honda.

China has shown how a national industrial policy can be successful, but it also has weaknesses as seen in China’s bankrupt housing market and low wages.

In the past, globalization was supported by conservatives as good for business and opposed by liberals who said it hurt American workers and exploited poor countries.

Pope Francis decried the negative impact of globalization on the Global South. He and others noted how farmers in the Global South were put out of business by cheaper grains from America. He also saw small businesses lose out to American franchises.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how integrated the world economy has become through globalization and how dependent we are on international supply chains. Today, that dependency is seen as a weakness. Under Trump, the Republican Party has changed sides on globalization and international trade. Republicans are now economic nationalists, or even isolationists. 

Trump’s failures show that it will be very difficult if not impossible to unwind globalization. Completely unwinding globalization would also be a bad idea.

Despite the exploitation, globalization has brought millions of people out of poverty in the developing world. Things would be better if it were not for local corruption that gives the benefits of globalization to the elites rather than to the common people. Inequality and corruption are the seedbeds of terrorism and revolution. We need to fight corruption if we want to defeat terrorists.

Economic interdependency is also a check on war. A war between China and the United States is currently unthinkable. It would be economically devastating on both sides, even if a shot were never fired. If we were economically independent, war would be less unthinkable.

Economic interdependency as a barrier to war was one theory behind the European Union after the Second World War. Leaders wanted the economies of France, Germany and other European countries so tied together that another war would be unthinkable. It worked.

The United States needs to approach China with more professionalism and less hyperbole. We must see and treat China as an equal who cannot be bullied, but from whom we must demand respect for international law. With allies we need to press them to stop cheating on trade and to stop stealing trade secrets.

America and it allies must also stand up for human rights around the world. Although we cannot force China to change its form of government, we must agree to disagree on the importance of human rights. We must also wean ourselves of products produced by slave labor or polluting industries, whether from China or elsewhere.

We need to approach China with diplomacy that is stable from administration to administration. We must treat Beijing with respect but not kowtow. Trump needs to step back and leave the job to professionals who know what they are doing. Stable relations with China are good for both countries and good for the world.