China seeks new insights on US trade strategy as it plans next moves
Advisers say Beijing is redoubling efforts to understand the Trump administration’s thinking as it explores potential to restart trade negotiations
China is consulting businesspeople and think tanks at home and abroad as it considers whether to adapt its strategy in the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies, according to Chinese government advisers and a US business representative.
But some observers said Beijing might be doing too little to address the key concerns at the heart of the conflict and might wind up paying a higher price as a result.
The advisers said that Beijing was trying to assess the impact of the trade row and political sentiment in Washington, and that it was exploring the possibility of restarting talks – although the time was “not ripe right now”.
They said that mistakes were unavoidable but that the leadership was redoubling efforts to better understand the thinking of the administration of US President Donald Trump and was confident of riding out the trade storm.
Teng Jianqun, head of US research at the China Institute of International Studies – a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – said, “China has never experienced such aggressive challenges” and needed a sustainable strategy for the long run.