Will the US’ tough tariff talk taint Antony Blinken’s trip to China?

Name: China’s Wang Yi calls for ‘in-depth’ Sino-US dialogue ahead of Antony Blinken talks in Washington
Uploaded: 2024-04-18T22:00:12.000Z
Duration: 2 min 17 s
Description: China’s Wang Yi calls for ‘in-depth’ Sino-US dialogue ahead of Antony Blinken talks in Washington

The US has floated the prospect of higher duties on Chinese steel and aluminium just days before Blinken is expected in Beijing

Is it just an election-year tactic or part of a ploy to gain China’s support for the US position on Ukraine?

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will reportedly visit China next week. Photo: Reuters

Dewey SimandZhao Ziwen

Published: 6:00am, 19 Apr 2024

When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits China next week, he could face a “disappointed” Beijing that is less willing to align itself with Washington on issues such as the deepening conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Chinese foreign ministry has not confirmed the dates for the trip – his second in less than a year – but Politico reported that Blinken would leave for China on Tuesday for a four-day visit.

The disappointment in Beijing is in large part because the White House has prefaced the trip with a proposed tariff increase and an investigation aimed at tackling China’s “unfair” trade practices in various sectors, according to diplomatic observers.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration called for a tripling of import tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium, and directed trade representative Katherine Tai to launch an investigation into China’s alleged subsidies in the shipbuilding, logistics and maritime industries.

“[China] ends up dumping extra steel on the global markets at unfairly low prices,” US President Joe Biden said at an election stop in Pennsylvania. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating.”

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China’s Wang Yi calls for ‘in-depth’ Sino-US dialogue ahead of Antony Blinken talks in Washington

Tim Summers, an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Centre for China Studies, said the US announcements pointed to a “more confrontational” approach towards China.