Trump wants trade deal to be tilted in US favour

Discussion in 'Asia' started by reedak, Jul 2, 2019.

  1. reedak

    reedak Well-Known Member

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    1. Speaking ahead of his meeting with Turkish President Recep Erdogan, US President Donald Trump said trade talks with China are back on track after his meeting with China's Xi Jinping.

    “We’re right back on track. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said after the talks wrapped. He described the meeting as “excellent” and “probably even better than expected."


    2. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Monday that trade talks with China were under way and any deal would need to be somewhat tilted in favor of the United States....

    Trump said China has had a "big advantage" over the United States in trade for "many years."

    "So obviously you can't make a 50-50 deal. It has to be a deal that is somewhat tilted to our advantage," Trump said.


    3. On June 29, Trump described his meeting with his Chinese counterpart as “excellent” and “probably even better than expected”. Two days later, he stressed that any deal with China would need to be somewhat tilted in US favour.

    How much Trump wants China to tilt in US favour? To make it tilt until it is in a kowtow position? The US has made many hostile moves against China:

    (i) Imposing huge amounts of tariffs on many Chinese goods.

    (ii) Imposing ruthless restrictions on Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese high-tech companies.

    (iii) Waging a worldorldwide campaign to cripple Huawei and other Chinese companies.

    (iv) Stepping up arms sales to Taiwan

    (v) Allowing Taiwan to change the name of de facto embassy in US to "Taiwan Council for US Affairs".

    (vi) Saying loud and clear that Taiwan is a country, and the US will treat it as such.

    (vii) Allowing a high-ranking Taiwanese minister to meet with Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, in May.

    (viii) Sending warships through the Taiwan Strait several times.

    (ix) Meddling in Hong Kong's domestic affairs.

    With those hostile moves, the US is already in an overwhelming advantageous position. So what more advantages does Trump want the trade deal to tilt in US favour? In fact, the US has not given China anything in the temporary trade truce. The permission to let Huawei get some supplies of insignificant components and the halt to more tariffs are akin to a psycho’s break from disfiguring a disfigured victim.

    All those US hostile actions show that I am not trolling or exaggerating to claim that the US-Sino rivalry will last for many centuries if not forever.

    Just like a cobra that swings its head from side to side, Trump has shown countless times that he is capable of saying one thing now and another at the next moment or just denying it altogether. Hence his contradictory remarks soon after the Osaka meeting are not surprising at all. Perhaps he should learn Chinese snake-style kungfu to prepare for his return to TV reality show after leaving the White House.

    4. In view of Trump's notorious unpredictability, China must be prepared for any possible threat that he could end the temporary trade truce anytime. It must face the reality that the US is an extremely unreliable trading partner. China must widen its pool of trading partners in order to reduce its dependence on US trade.

    Meanwhile, Huawei and all other Chinese companies must invest more to focus on research and innovation. They must reduce their dependence on US companies as sources for technology, spare parts and components.

    Let us look at the illogicality of Trump's statements after the G20 Osaka summit:

    (a) Trump: "It has to be a deal that is somewhat tilted to our advantage."

    If Trump is the leader of another country, will he make a deal "that is somewhat tilted to the US advantage"?

    (b) Trump: "I think we have a good chance of making a deal."

    Does Trump really think there is "good chance of making a deal" if the other side insists on a deal "that is somewhat tilted to their advantage"?

    (c) Trump said he expected China's negotiating position to move closer to Washington's.

    Trump's statement is akin to putting words in China's mouth. How can China's negotiating position to move closer to Washington's, if Trump insists on a deal "that is somewhat tilted to US advantage"? It is just like expecting a lamb to move closer to a tiger.

    (d) Trump said China has had a "big advantage" over the United States in trade for "many years."

    Trump has to take note that nobody has forced the US to trade with China or to give "big advantage" to China for "many years". All the so-called US trade deficits are self-inflicted as it has been restricting high-tech exports to China all this while. Furthermore, the US does not take into account of the fact that its companies' benefits from investments and trade with China have not trickled down to the American public. What the US earns from Chinese tourists and students may have exceeded its so-called trade deficits with China.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2019

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