1. Democratic countries that mostly abide by international law and the rules-based order.
2. Non-democratic countries that also mostly abide by international law and the rules-based order, because they benefit from it more than not doing so.
3. Non-democratic countries that reject international law and the rules-based order.
The US trades with #1 and #2, and was hoping to make China into #2. But unfortunately it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, China is in the grey area between #2 and #3 and probably trending toward #3.
2 works for small countries, if countries are large enough they can afford themselves to be a 3, which otherwise is reserved for failed states and outright dictatorships.
1. Democratic countries that mostly abide by international law and the rules-based order.
2. Non-democratic countries that also mostly abide by international law and the rules-based order, because they benefit from it more than not doing so.
3. Non-democratic countries that reject international law and the rules-based order.
The US trades with #1 and #2, and was hoping to make China into #2. But unfortunately it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, China is in the grey area between #2 and #3 and probably trending toward #3.