“Characterizing it as ‘us versus China’ is inflammatory, jingoistic, if you like, racist,” Baker said. “A lot of the companies doing the exporting are US companies. So it’s not China, it’s our companies. Walmart has low-cost supply chains throughout China.” (So, for that matter, did Trump’s apparel line.)
Yet Baker still endorses the idea that a frank negotiation that puts the weight on the right issues could improve US workers’ trading position with China.
“The question is, what exactly is he telling China?” Baker said, regarding a hypothetical Trump presidency. “It would have to be part of a give and take; it’s going to be about priorities. It might mean giving up on certain priorities. So in that sense he could do it, but it’s not a question of beating them up; he’d have to give things up.”
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