What’s Next for U.S.-China Trade?
Wendy Cutler with the U.S.-China Business Council
ASPI Vice President Wendy Cutler spoke with the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) for the China Business Review podcast following the meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
Cutler says that while the trade truce in late June is a welcome development, questions remain over how the two sides can resolve the outstanding issues, including disagreements over what to do about existing tariffs, the use of tariffs in the future, and addressing structural issues. Recalling her own experience as a trade negotiator, Cutler attributes the breakdown in talks in May in part to “cold feet” as each side weighed the risk of domestic criticism once the deal became public, as well as a “serious miscalculation” by the Chinese – mistakes she believes both sides will have learned from. Going into the renewed talks, Cutler emphasized the role that working with other countries can play in reaching a meaningful deal. Referring to a recent ASPI paper, Strength in Numbers, she identified upcoming meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), “ad hoc” coalitions, and plurilateral trade negotiations as concrete options to strengthen the U.S. approach to China.