With Deadline Looming, U.S.-China Trade Deal Still Faces Major Hurdles

With Deadline Looming, U.S.-China Trade Deal Still Faces Major Hurdles
President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, Jan. 31, 2019 (Photo by Oliver Contreras for dpa via AP Images).

Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, WPR Newsletter and Engagement Editor Benjamin Wilhelm curates the week’s top news and expert analysis on China.

The U.S. and China held two days of high-level trade talks in Washington last week, just before the start of China’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday. Negotiators conveyed cautious optimism but stressed that much work remains to reach an agreement before the March 1 deadline.

Vice Premier Liu He, China’s economic czar, led a Chinese delegation that included central bank governor Yi Gang. The American negotiating team was headed by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and also included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Following the talks, Lighthizer said the two sides made progress and focused on the most important issues during the “two very long, very intense days of discussions,” including structural issues, intellectual property protection, and “enforcement, enforcement, enforcement.” Lighthizer and Mnuchin will travel to Beijing early next week to continue talks, and U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping toward the end of the month, with the goal of finalizing a potential deal.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review