President Donald Trump’s recent decision to pause tariffs for 90 days on most US trading partners – while escalating them to a scorching 125 per cent on Chinese imports – has sent a ripple through global markets and diplomatic circles alike. While the S&P 500 surged 9.5 per cent on the news, the real logic behind this move lies not in economics alone but in game theory – the strategic science of decision-making under competition and uncertainty.