【明報專訊】DONALD TRUMP, the US president, has signalled a change of stance on the trade war, saying that he is not prepared to reach a deal with China at the moment. Meanwhile China's state media outlets have struck a tough pose, warning that "don't say we did not give you a heads‑up". The State Council has even published a white paper titled "China's Position on the China‑US Economic and Trade Consultations", saying that the United States is fully responsible for the setbacks in China‑US trade talks. All the indications are that the disagreements between the two powers are likely to spill over from the trade war into other areas. What is unpalatable is that political and economic bickering might have harmful consequences for the academic arena. This will do all harm and no good for not only the academic worlds in both countries but also academic progress in the entire world.