Tag: China

‘Chaos breeds chaos’: Trump’s erratic and false claims roil the globe. Again.

President Trump cast more doubt on trade talks with China in a series of tweets that helped erase optimism and reignite fears of a global economic slowdown. (Reuters)

After his Argentine steak dinner last weekend with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Trump announced that they had reached an “incredible deal” to temporarily suspend his trade war. But days later, Trump declared, “I am a Tariff man.”

Trump last week proposed stripping away electric-car subsidies from General Motors as punishment for the automotive giant moving to cease production at plants in the United States and Canada. But then his chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said the White House would do no such thing. Targeting a single company, he explained, would be illegal.

Then there is the way Trump talks about how the economy works — imprecise at best, ignorant at worst. For instance, the president routinely says that China and other countries are paying billions of dollars to the United States because of his tariffs. But that is false. Tariffs are paid by companies, often U.S. firms, that import foreign-made products.

View the complete December 4 article by Daman Paletta and Philip Rucker on The Washington Post website here.

Want to Know More About: Trump China Policy

Max Boot: “Donald Trump Is Not Clear About What He’s Trying To Achieve. Sometimes He Talks About China’s Theft Of Technology, But Other Times He Talks About The Fact That China Has A Trade Surplus With The United States.” BOOT: “I’m concerned Donald Trump is on the verge of blowing up our relations with one of the most important trade partners where you have so many American companies, so many interlinked with China, you have Apple and so many other iconic American companies. Donald Trump is not clear about what he’s trying to achieve. Sometimes he talks about China’s theft of technology, but other times he talks about the fact that China has a trade surplus with the United States.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/8/18; VIDEO]

Max Boot: “If We Were Really Serious About Standing Up To China, We Would Do So With Our Partners And Allies. Yet The Very First Thing He Did Was Exit The Trans Pacific Partnership.” BOOT: “Donald Trump, I think he’s confused about his goals, and also confused about how he’s going to pursue them because if we were really serious about standing up to China, we would do so with our partners and allies. Yet the very first thing he did was exit the Trans Pacific Partnership. This trade area meant to bolster our allies against China. And he exited that. So that doesn’t make any sense.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/8/18; VIDEO]

China says it will immediately retaliate when Trump tariffs take effect

President Trump said that his administration’s tariffs on Chinese goods are “doing a very good job,” and threatened more tariffs if China retaliates. (The Washington Post)

BEIJING — Beijing struck back Tuesday against President Trump’s new tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports, vowing it would immediately retaliate when they take effect and threatening a protracted dispute that could raise the prices of household goods in both countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has refused to budge amid mounting threats from Trump, who vowed to place higher border taxes on practically everything the United States buys from China if Beijing unveils new duties, effective Monday at noon.

“In order to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests and the global free trade order, China will have to take countermeasures,” the country’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. “We deeply regret this.”

View the complete September 18 article by Danielle Paquette on the Washington Post website here.

Trump announces tariffs on $200B in Chinese goods

Credit: Visual China Group, Getty Images

President Trump on Monday announced that he is directing the U.S. Trade Representative to impose tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports, a move expected to escalate the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

The tariffs are expected to go into effect on Sept. 24 and will be set at a 10 percent level until the end of the year, after which they will increase to 25 percent.

The tariffs will hit everything from fish such as salmon and halibut, vegetables, nuts, grains, orange juice and metals including titanium and uranium.

View the complete September 17 article by Vicki Needham here.

Want to Know More About: The Trump Trade War

Christine Romans: “The President Often Says These Are Tariffs On China, That China Pays, But It’s Really The U.S. Importing Companies That Pay, Whether It’s Electronics, Shoes, Sporting Gear, Or Food, Companies Pay The Import Tax To The U.S. Government And Then The Companies Either Eat That Higher Cost Or Pay It Onto You, The Consumer.” ROMANS: “So far the U.S. Hit China with $250 billion on tariffs on $250 billion goods. The President often says these are tariffs on China, that China pays, but it’s really the U.S. importing companies that pay, whether it’s electronics, shoes, sporting gear, or food, companies pay the import tax to the U.S. Government and then the companies either eat the higher cost or pass it along to you, the consumer.” [New Day, CNN, 9/19/18; VIDEO]

Christine Romans: “The Auto Industry Already Warns The Tariffs On Car Parts Could Raise The Price Of A New Car Several Thousand Dollars.” ROMANS: “It’s really the companies that pay the import tax to the U.S. Government and then the companies either eat the higher cost or pass it along to you, the consumer. In fact, the auto industry already warns tariffs on car parts could raise the price of cars by several thousands dollars.” [New Day, CNN, 9/19/18; VIDEO]

U.S. officials suspect Russia in mystery ‘attacks’ on diplomats in Cuba, China

The following article by Josh Lederman, Courtney Kube, Abigail WIlliams and Ken Dilanian was posted on the NBC News website September 11, 2018:

The strong suspicion that Russia was behind the alleged attacks is backed by signals intelligence, meaning intercepted communications, say U.S. officials.

WASHINGTON — Intelligence agencies investigating mysterious “attacks” that led to brain injuries in U.S. personnel in Cuba and China consider Russia to be the main suspect, three U.S. officials and two others briefed on the investigation tell NBC News.

The suspicion that Russia is likely behind the alleged attacks is backed up by evidence from communications intercepts, known in the spy world as signals intelligence, amassed during a lengthy and ongoing investigation involving the FBI, the CIA and other U.S. agencies. The officials declined to elaborate on the nature of the intelligence.

The evidence is not yet conclusive enough, however, for the U.S. to formally assign blame to Moscow for incidents that started in late 2016 and have continued in 2018, causing a major rupture in U.S.-Cuba relations.

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FBI contradicts Trump’s claim about Hillary Clinton’s emails being hacked by China

The following article by Emily Shugerman was posted on the Independent website August 29, 2018:

‘The FBI has not found any evidence the servers were compromised,’ agency says in a statement

White House Admits China Has Yet to Budge on ‘Unfair Trade’

The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website August 23, 2018:

Trump gives himself an ‘A-plus,’ but leaves Beijing’s trade tactics off achievement list

China and U.S. flags were displayed in front of the portrait of China’s late Communist leader Mao Zedong during President Trump’s 2017 visit there. Credit: Lintao Zhang, Getty Images file photo

The White House has tried threats and bluster, then imposed controversial tariffs. Congress even did something rare, passing a bipartisan bill. But despite President Donald Trump’s and lawmakers’ efforts, China has yet to so much as blink on what Republicans and Democrats agree are its unjust trade practices, administration officials said Thursday.

The two U.S. political parties and Trump rarely find themselves in near-unanimous agreement. But when it comes to what they all see as China’s habit of stealing American technology and intellectual properties, playing games with its market and currency, and otherwise tipping the global trade scene to benefit its companies and economy, Washington is mostly unified.

The two parties and the president agree that legislation is needed to update the country’s immigration laws, but they have been unable to agree on the specifics of an overhaul bill. The same is true of other issues, with agreement that changes are needed but wide chasms on the specific remedies.

Trump’s ‘Easy’ Trade War: A Report From The Front

The following article by David Cay Johnston was posted on the DCReports.org website August 21, 2018:

Our Trade Deficit Has Grown Worse While China Finds New Suppliers and Markets

Reports are coming in from the first skirmishes in Donald Trump’s gratuitous trade war. They show our country is losing these early rounds of what China calls “the biggest trade war in economic history.”

“Trade wars are good and easy to win,” Trump declared in a March 2, 2018, tweet. So far that’s not how it’s gone.

Among the reports from the frontlines of this economic battleground is this gem — America’s trade deficit in goods has worsened significantly since the first of this year, Census Department data show: Overall 7% worse. China 9% worse. Europe 16% worse.

View the complete article here.

Trump to hit China with $16B in tariffs on Aug. 23

The following article by Niv Elis was posted on the Hill website August 7, 2018:

© Getty Images

President Trump will impose 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Aug. 23, the United States Trade Representative announced Tuesday.

The tariffs will affect goods such as electronic parts, plastics, chemicals, batteries, and railway cars.

The new round of tariffs completes Trump’s threat to impose $50 billion of import taxes on Chinese goods. The first $34 billion-worth went into effect on July 6.

China has already slapped back at the U.S. with its own tariffs on American goods, specifically targeting products from politically sensitive areas. It is expected to respond in kind to the latest round of tariffs.

View the complete article here.