Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel meets Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan to save jobs at risk in trade war
Rahm Emanuel seeks to lock in deal for US$1.3 billion venture to assemble railcars in US city
Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, on a mission to salvage business deals threatened by a tariff war, said on Thursday that Chinese officials expressed confidence they could survive the spiralling dispute with Washington.
The mayor met Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan and China’s commerce minister this week in an effort to lock in a US$1.3 billion deal for a Chinese company to assemble railcars in Chicago.
The foreign ministry said on Wednesday that China would take “firm and forceful measures” if US President Donald Trump went ahead with a second round of tariffs on Chinese goods in a dispute over Beijing’s technology policy.
“They wanted to communicate, obviously, that this is not their preference,” Emanuel said. “They would rather work something out, but they’re not scared if this is where it goes.”
After meeting executives from the Chinese railway car manufacturer, Emanuel said he was committed to completing the project. The factory construction would soon be finished and employees from Chicago were due to arrive in China for training, he said.
The US-Chinese conflict has rattled businesses that worry trade and investment might be disrupted.