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US President eases fears of trade war, saying China will ease trade barriers
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/04/11 09:58:01
US President Donald Trump has played down fears of a possible trade war with China, saying Beijing will ease trade barriers "because it is the right thing to do," reported The Guardian, UK. The move would enable the economic superpowers to resolve the disputes that have shaken financial markets and businesses.
However, two of the US President's top economic advisers simultaneously offered mixed messages as to the best approach to China, which has threatened to retaliate if Washington follows through with proposed tariffs.
"President Xi [Jinping] and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. "China will take down its trade barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become reciprocal and a deal will be made on intellectual property."
Mr Trump did not explain why, in a week of economic sabre-rattling between the two countries that shook global markets, he felt confident a deal could be made.
The Trump administration has said it is cracking down on alleged Chinese theft of US intellectual property. The US bought more than US$500 billion in goods from China last year and now is considering penalties on $150 billion of those imports. The US sold $130 billion in goods to China last year and faces potentially devastating repercussions if China responds in kind.
China has pledged to "counterattack with great strength" if Mr Trump decides to stick to his latest threat to introduce tariffs on a further $100 billion in Chinese goods. Beijing also declared that the current rhetoric made negotiations impossible, even as the White House suggested that the tariff talk is a way to push China to the negotiating table.
The new White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday a "coalition of the willing" - including Canada, much of Europe and Australia - was being formed to pressure China and that the US would demand that the World Trade Organization be stricter on Beijing.
"This is a problem caused by China, not a problem caused by President Trump," Mr Kudlow said on Fox News. However, he also downplayed the tariff threat as "part of the process" and said he was hopeful China would enter negotiations.
Mr Trump's latest proposal intensified what was already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle in more than a half century. The US President told advisers last week he was unhappy with China's decision to tax $50 billion in US products, including soy beans and small aircraft.
Further escalation could be in the offing. The US treasury is working on plans to restrict Chinese technology investments in the US. And there is talk that the US could also put limits on visas.
However, two of the US President's top economic advisers simultaneously offered mixed messages as to the best approach to China, which has threatened to retaliate if Washington follows through with proposed tariffs.
"President Xi [Jinping] and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. "China will take down its trade barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become reciprocal and a deal will be made on intellectual property."
Mr Trump did not explain why, in a week of economic sabre-rattling between the two countries that shook global markets, he felt confident a deal could be made.
The Trump administration has said it is cracking down on alleged Chinese theft of US intellectual property. The US bought more than US$500 billion in goods from China last year and now is considering penalties on $150 billion of those imports. The US sold $130 billion in goods to China last year and faces potentially devastating repercussions if China responds in kind.
China has pledged to "counterattack with great strength" if Mr Trump decides to stick to his latest threat to introduce tariffs on a further $100 billion in Chinese goods. Beijing also declared that the current rhetoric made negotiations impossible, even as the White House suggested that the tariff talk is a way to push China to the negotiating table.
The new White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday a "coalition of the willing" - including Canada, much of Europe and Australia - was being formed to pressure China and that the US would demand that the World Trade Organization be stricter on Beijing.
"This is a problem caused by China, not a problem caused by President Trump," Mr Kudlow said on Fox News. However, he also downplayed the tariff threat as "part of the process" and said he was hopeful China would enter negotiations.
Mr Trump's latest proposal intensified what was already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle in more than a half century. The US President told advisers last week he was unhappy with China's decision to tax $50 billion in US products, including soy beans and small aircraft.
Further escalation could be in the offing. The US treasury is working on plans to restrict Chinese technology investments in the US. And there is talk that the US could also put limits on visas.