Reports that China is ready to play the “rare-earth metals” card – embargoing  exotic materials used in a wide variety of high-tech applications in the West ranging from smart phones to hospital scanners -- is one obvious attempt to make the Trump administration pay a steep price for seeking a better trade deal. China’s counter tariffs are another example.

But China is also pursuing several subtle methods of payback that many Americans aren’t even aware of. These forms of retaliation are much less obvious -- but possibly just as painful.