US-China trade war: Joe Biden hints he will keep up pressure on Beijing with pledge to fight ‘unfair trade practices’
- President-elect nominated Katherine Tai to post of US trade representative by touting her experience of taking on Beijing
- Biden says trade policy will be a ‘critical pillar’ of his administration’s foreign policy
Joe Biden has said his nominee for trade chief Katherine Tai will target abusive trade practices by China in a possible sign that Donald Trump’s trade war will continue.
On Friday, the president-elect nominated Tai for the role of US trade representative, saying: “She was the chief trade enforcer against unfair trade practices by China, which will be a key priority in the Biden-Harris administration.
“Trade will be a critical pillar in our ability to build back better and carry out our foreign policy – foreign policy for the middle class.”
Biden also highlighted Tai’s experience as chief counsel for China trade enforcement at the World Trade Organization.
Tai led a series of cases in that post between 2011 and 2014, most noticeably building an international coalition – including the European Union, Japan and Australia – to oppose Chinese export limits on rare earth metals.