CHINA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s decision this week to ratchet up the trade war with Beijing by slapping more tariffs on Chinese goods came after aides thought they had talked him out of it weeks ago, according to two people close to the discussions. But the president’s annoyance with China finally boiled over this week after Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer returned from trade talks in Shanghai and reported that Chinese officials offered no new proposals for ending an impasse that’s persisted since May, according to the people. Trump’s Twitter announcement on Thursday [8-1-19] that he’ll impose a 10 percent tariff on roughly $300 billion in Chinese imports starting on Sept. 1 drew a quick reaction from China on Friday [8-2-19], further imperiling chances of progress in the talks. The U.S. is trying to get China to make commitments to rein in policies it says amount to widespread theft of U.S. technology and intellectual property.”
–Adam Behsudi and Ben White, “Trump’s frustration with China boils over,” Politico, August 2, 2019 2:04 pm