THE UNITED STATES
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross this week laid
out three priorities for the Trump administration
in its talks with Beijing.
The administration wants China to commit to
more purchases of U.S. exports, including such
things as soybeans and liquefied natural gas.
Then Trump officials want China to end what
they call its abusive practices, including
forced technology handovers and the use of
regulations to hobble American companies
operating in China.
Most and “hardest” of all, Ross said, is devising
ways to ensure that China honors whatever
commitments it makes. That’s why the
administration is eager to retain some of the
Trump tariffs, which could be lifted gradually as
Beijing proves its sincerity.
After all, Trump officials argue, China has made
empty promises before: A 2018 report by the
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative found
that Beijing promised eight times since 2010
not to force foreign companies to transfer
technology to China. Yet the coercion continued,
the U.S. said.
China’s reluctance to reform its ways has cost
it a key ally in the United States: American
businesses. U.S. companies, which long backed
China-friendly U.S. trade policies, now largely
support Trump’s combative stance, if not the
tariffs he’s using as leverage.
Trump has suggested that he might be willing to
use the fate of the Chinese telecommunications
giant Huawei as a bargaining chip in trade talks.
The Commerce Department last month put
Huawei on a blacklist, which effectively bars it
from buying the U.S. technology it needs.