CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the Trump administration prepares for its first formal economic talks with China here Wednesday [7-19-17], Chinese officials highlighted their ability to quell trade tensions with the new American president, while some U.S. business groups expressed concern their government might not push Beijing hard enough.
After Donald Trump’s November election, ‘many kept their fingers crossed, worrying that China-U.S. trade relations would enter a stormy…winter and even run the risk of a trade war,’ Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang told a luncheon of business executives here Tuesday.
But Mr. Trump has since dropped his threats to impose drastic penalties against Chinese imports—an across-the-board tariff, or a formal charge of currency manipulation—and has so far focused on small market-opening agreements, instead.
Both sides will likely discuss Wednesday a new list of specific sectors where they can announce new China market access for U.S. firms. The first round in the new ‘U.S.-China Comprehensive Dialogue,’ will be led by Mr. Wang and two top Trump economic aides: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.”
-Jacob M. Schlesinger, “U.S. Walks Fine Line on Trade Talks With China,” The Wall Street Journal online, July 18, 2017 07:29pm