Straws in the wind

Is the great deal-maker faltering?

The BBC reports that on the one hand:

US President Donald Trump has said there is a "very substantial chance" a historic summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un next month may not happen.

He said the North must meet conditions for the summit to go ahead though if it did not, it might happen "later".

He was speaking as he received South Korea's President Moon Jae-in at the White House.

The North has said it may cancel the summit if the US insists on it giving up nuclear weapons unilaterally.

while on the other hand:

Donald Trump once claimed a trade war with China would be "easy" to win. But consensus is emerging that the president is losing the first battles.

His team has been trying to hash out a deal to boost US exports, but multiple rounds of negotiations have yet to yield progress on key priorities, like protection for US intellectual property.

Now the conflict has Mr Trump taking fire at home from two sides: those worried he is provoking a damaging trade fight, and those who fear he will give in too easily.

Mr Trump, citing a large trade deficit and unfair rules in China, says the US is starting from such a bad position that the country stands to gain no matter what happens. 

Is it all going a bit pear-shaped?