China has a welcome mat for Trump: it just rewrote the rules on U.S. sanctions

President Trump will meet Chairman Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14–15. Xi Jinping has all the high cards, and he knows it. China made sure President Trump knows it, too.

On May 2, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued Announcement No. 21. The operative language is built on three unambiguous negatives that govern how Chinese parties must treat U.S. sanctions: “shall not recognize,” “shall not enforce,” and “shall not comply with.” Every Chinese citizen, company, and organization...