Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, WPR’s newsletter and engagement editor, Benjamin Wilhelm, curates the top news and analysis from China written by the experts who follow it.
A new chapter in the trade war between the United States and China begins today as officials from both sides meet in Washington, though analysts have low expectations for the talks. In light of President Donald Trump’s relentless tariff threats and reported grumblings in China over how Beijing has responded, where does the situation stand 48 days into the trade war?
Press reports indicate that Chinese leaders have reframed their outlook on Trump’s tariffs, no longer viewing them as just an attempt to narrow the trade deficit, but as part of a broader strategy to contain China’s ascent as a global power. Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen and the rest of the Chinese delegation in Washington may bring that altered perspective on the trade dispute into their meeting with David Malpass, the under secretary of the treasury for international affairs, and the other U.S. representatives.