Are China’s trade negotiators being hampered by poor communication, inexperience?
- Before talks resume, Beijing needs to shore up its skills and improve internal communication channels, sources say
- A lack of ‘substantive suggestions’ have been made to China’s top leaders on how to handle the US during the negotiation process, according to insiders
China’s efforts to secure a favourable resolution to the trade war with the United States have been hamstrung by poor internal communication and the inexperience of its negotiating team, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
An adviser to the Chinese government, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that with formal talks poised to resume, one of the priorities for Beijing should be improving its communication channels.
Before the talks faltered in early May there had been a consistent lack of information being passed from the negotiating team to officials higher up the chain of command, the person said.
“There wasn’t enough internal briefing,” he said, adding that coordination within the Chinese government had been “insufficient”.
There had also been a lack of “substantive suggestions” being made throughout the Chinese government to the top leadership on how to handle the US during the negotiation process, the source said.