A strong case for calm talks to resolve trade row

The ongoing US-China trade dispute should not have arisen in the first place, if trade imbalance is the core issue. Consider this: only China has the capacity to satisfy America's huge appetite and demand for products.

Even in an ideal scenario, the rest of the world does not come close to China's production capacity. So, ultimately, the US will have no option but to resume buying from China, at least in the short to medium term.

To be sure, the combined demand of the rest of world won't equal American demand for some goods. Our research findings suggest it would be wise to temper tensions and rhetoric with a dose of reality.