CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Trade negotiators from the U.S. and China are digging in for the first round of what they expect to be recurring, difficult talks that don’t produce an immediate settlement. Beijing is bracing for lengthy sparring with Washington, though Chinese officials said that in recent weeks they had tried to get the relationship with the U.S. back on track, pointing to a recent acceleration of plans to give foreign investors greater access to the financial-services and auto sectors…U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other senior Trump administration officials opened the discussions Thursday [5-3-18] afternoon with Chinese negotiators. Neither side commented substantively on the talks, with the first round scheduled to end Friday [5-4-18]…A Chinese government spokesman said ahead of the U.S. team’s arrival that Beijing is prepared should a protracted trade fight ensue.”
-Lingling Wei, “U.S. and China Dive In for Prolonged Trade Talks,” The Wall Street Journal, May 3, 2018 10:30 am