U.S. Negotiators are in Beijing for Another Round of Trade Talks
Kevin Rudd on NPR
On March 28, Asia Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd joined NPR Morning Edition to discuss the latest round of U.S.-China trade talks, which began in Beijing on Thursday morning. While China has indicated a willingness to increase market access and reduce tariffs, Rudd emphasized that the country is unlikely to make substantive movements in the major issue areas of forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, and state subsidies for high-technology industries.
According to Rudd, the Trump Administration has certainly seized the attention of the Chinese through its use of tariffs, and demonstrated a commitment to “double down” on trade negotiations in order to maximize benefits to the U.S. However, the apparent lack of consensus among U.S. negotiators coupled with President Trump’s desire for a deal (to boost confidence in the U.S. business community) gives China leverage.
China’s economy may be struggling, but the country can use these advantages to secure a more desirable outcome from this week’s negotiations.