The administration of US President Joe Biden is waiting to see how leadership changes in China will affect the economic relationship between the two countries, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai (戴琪) said on Friday.
“I think it’s really ‘wait and see’ and ‘to be determined,’” Tai said in an interview with Bloomberg. “That is the question that everyone is asking right now, not just with respect to trade, but the entire relationship.
For the next four months, Tai would continue to engage with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (劉鶴), she said.
Photo: AFP
However, it is not clear who Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) will appoint to take over the portfolio, Tai said, adding that change would not occur until the Chinese National People’s Congress in March next year.
While the White House is prepared for Beijing to intensify its control of the economy, Tai did not rule out the possibility that China could surprise the world with more market-based reforms.
As the country goes through its transition of government, “nothing is predestined,” she said.
Photo: AFP
“We are prepared for a scenario where there is a doubling down, there is no movement on reform,” Tai said, adding that the US must also “be prepared for decisions that will be made that may surprise you.”
Tai said that the Biden administration’s focus is on responsibly managing the relationship, adding that Washington expects China to do its part as it is focused on pushing Beijing to restructure its economy.
“We’ve got to be more assertive in defending our interests until the day that China and Beijing decide that it is time for a structural reform that brings their system into closer alignment with ours,” she said.
Her office continues to engage with Chinese officials on enforcement of the so-called Phase 1 trade deal the administration of former US president Donald Trump struck, she added.
Biden has been holding back on a decision to scrap any Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports.
The duties span imports from industrial inputs, such as microchips and chemicals, to consumer merchandise including apparel and furniture.
While there has been no direct indication of which duties might be removed, senior Biden administration officials have said reducing tariffs on household items could help ease a surge in the US cost of living.
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