The president postponed what appeared to be a looming clash on trade and expressed a willingness to talk business, but he remains critical of Beijing.

Markets were cautiously optmistic after Trump took a lighter approach to China on Monday. That sentiment lasted a day.

The President, who has suggested that the U.S. take on 50 percent ownership of TikTok, hinted that potential tariffs on China will be closely linked to whether such a joint venture is approved. “If China didn’t approve it,