Trump’s ZTE Deal Is No U.S. Win

Investors will likely celebrate easing trade tensions. But the weapons used are straight from the Chinese playbook

Qualcomm’s deal plans and tariff-free U.S. pork in exchange for ZTE Corp.’s continued existence—that appears to be the upshot of U.S.-China trade talks.

Whether Chinese telecom leader ZTE willfully violated the terms of its settlement with the U.S. government over sales to sanctioned Iran now appears irrelevant—barely a month after the Trump administration banned American firms from dealing with the company.

Investors...