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China Urges US to Make 'Wise Decision' Ahead of Tariff Deadline

by Bill Ide

   BEIJING --

   China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged the United States to make a
   "wise decision" on trade as a deadline for the administration of
   President Donald Trump to release a list of tariffs targeting $50
   billion in Chinese goods approaches.
   Speaking at news briefing Thursday, flanked by U.S. Secretary of State
   Mike Pompeo, the Chinese government's top diplomat said China and the
   United States are at a crucial phase, a point where opportunities and
   challenges are rising.
   And one of the big challenges Wang mentioned is trade. For that, he
   urged the United States to not take any unilateral steps that would
   create obstacles for future negotiations.
   Wang said for trade there are two choices.
   "The first choice is cooperation and mutual benefit.The other choice is
   confrontation and mutual loss. China chooses the first," Wang said. "We
   hope the U.S. side can also make the same wise choice.Of course, we
   have also made preparations to respond to the second kind of choice."
   It is unclear whether the Trump administration will release the list of
   tariffs as scheduled.Friday is the deadline the White House gave in an
   announcement late last month that it was pressing ahead with measures
   aimed at "confronting China's unfair trade policies."
   Even if the tariffs list is announced, the president could delay their
   implementation for another 30 days, and even longer after that if
   negotiations are going well.If they are implemented, China has promised
   a tough response.
   Talks progressing

   The two sides have made some progress toward addressing the two
   countries massive trade deficit, with China putting forward a proposal
   earlier this month to purchase $70 billion in farm, manufacturing and
   energy products. China has also said it will cut import tariffs on
   automobiles and consumer goods.
   Those proposals, however, are contingent on the administration not
   carrying out its trade tariff threats. If the United States does
   proceed, China has said that it will respond by placing its own duties
   on American goods including soybeans, cars, planes and other products.
   In his remarks, Secretary Pompeo did not address the looming deadline,
   but he did stress the U.S. deficit with China is still too high.
   "I stressed how important it is for President Trump to rectify that
   situation so that trade becomes more balanced, more reciprocal and more
   fair, with the opportunity to have American workers be treated fairly,"
   Pompeo said.

   He added that during his first visit to China, he had good and
   constructive discussions, but he also noted that when the two countries
   disagree they would continue to speak up for their values and
   interests, including on issues such as human rights and rule of law.
   North Korea discussions
   The secretary's visit to Beijing comes just days after U.S. President
   Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jung Un held their first summit in
   Singapore and the visit was largely about briefing China's leaders on
   the meeting and discussing the path forward.
   "We really appreciate all that China did to help put us in a place
   where that summit could happen and we thank you for that. There is
   still more work to be done by China and the United States to get to the
   ultimate outcome."
   One key challenge the two face regarding North Korea is pushing forward
   denuclearization on the peninsula and the question of when sanctions
   should be loosened.
   China is North Korea's biggest trading partner.Trump has praised
   Beijing's support of the international community's toughest round of
   sanctions on North Korea to date, but he also noted at his post summit
   news conference in Singapore that China clearly has already begun to
   loosen its grip a bit.
   Pompeo said that during his meeting with Wang Yi, China reaffirmed its
   commitment to honoring the U.N. Security Council resolutions.The
   secretary said that while the resolutions have room for relief in them,
   the two agreed that when appropriate that would be considered.
   "We have made it very clear, that the sanctions and the economic relief
   that North Korea will receive will only happen after the full
   denuclearization, the complete denuclearization of North Korea," Pompeo
   said.