Is Donald Trump’s trade team ready to reach out to Xi Jinping’s right-hand man Wang Qishan for tariff truce talks?
US presidential advisers float possibility of inviting the Chinese vice-president for discussions before US levies go into effect
Some White House officials are trying to restart talks with China to avoid a trade war before US tariffs on Chinese products take effect July 6, three people familiar with the plans said, setting up a battle with others in the administration who favour a harder line.
Staff of the National Economic Council (NEC) have contacted former US government officials and China experts in recent days to gauge chances for high-level talks in the next two weeks, the people said on condition of anonymity to discuss the inquiries. One idea NEC staff floated was inviting Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan before the tariff deadline, they said.
The outreach signals a willingness by some US officials to seek a truce before US$34 billion in Chinese products are hit with tariffs rather than trigger a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. Still, the chances of such negotiations happening in the near term are slim as long as opponents inside the administration favour penalising Beijing. US President Donald Trump has shown no signs of backing down.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US administration has said that after July 6, tariffs on an additional US$16 billion worth of Chinese goods will be imposed after a public review period. The tariff threats have hurt US stocks in the past week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average headed for its eighth straight day of declines.