Todd Bishop
During the China-US negotiations, US President Trump changed his attitude and said that he should not part of the agreement, as long as a comprehensive agreement. The Chinese delegation also cancelled its visit to the US agricultural state. Experts believe that the consequences of no agreement between China and the United States are serious.
Comprehensive media reported on September 22 that Chinese and US deputy ministerial officials had met in Washington recently to pave the way for the 13th round of China-US trade negotiations in October. But during the negotiations, the tough stance of US President Donald Trump caused the development of things to re-emerge.
Trump said on September 20 that he does not believe that he needs to reach a trade agreement with China before the 2020 presidential election.
On the same day, at a press conference held by the White House and visiting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, he said: “No, I don’t think I need it before the election.” Trump said, the public knows him. The government has done a good job. He said that the Chinese economy has been seriously affected, while the United States has not been affected.
Trump also said that he is not willing to sign an incomplete agreement with Beijing and change the previous statement that he can consider accepting the “provisional agreement.” He said: “We are seeking a comprehensive agreement. We are not seeking partial agreements.” He also said: “China began to buy our agricultural products. If you noticed last week, in fact, it is a very large purchase. But this Not what I pursue, we are pursuing a big agreement.”
Prior to this meeting, it was difficult to predict that China and the United States would reach a comprehensive agreement. It is expected to reach an interim agreement covering China’s purchase of agricultural products. The United States will relax its export restrictions on Huawei and may further delay the increase of tariffs. Trump’s latest statement undoubtedly poured a cold water on the negotiations. On the same day, the Chinese delegation also announced the cancellation of the visit to the agricultural state of the United States. US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on September 19 that the Chinese delegation will visit US agricultural districts with US officials next week. This is seen as a signal for a breakthrough in the talks.
During the China-US trade war, China imposed tariffs on US agricultural products, and American farmers were hit. The farmers were one of Trump’s ticket warehouses, which put him under great pressure. Chinese officials planning to visit the agricultural state are also considered a positive sign.
However, after Trump’s statement, the Chinese trade delegation changed its plan on September 20 and cancelled the visit to the US farm after the trade negotiations. On September 20, Nicole Rolf, director of state affairs at the US Department of Agriculture in Montana, revealed to the US media that the Chinese delegation, which was scheduled to visit the US agricultural state next week, canceled the visit to the state because ” These officials will return to China earlier than originally planned, and then the US Department of Agriculture official of Nebraska confirmed that the Chinese delegation cancelled the original visit to the state.
Afterwards, Han Jun, a member of the Chinese delegation and deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, responded to the “Chinese delegation’s cancellation of the US Agricultural State visit plan” when he attended a communication with American agricultural people in Washington on September 21. It indicated that the delegation had indeed discussed the arrangements related to the visit with the US, but the two sides did not determine the schedule. Later, after comprehensive consideration of various factors, the Chinese side did not arrange to visit the US agricultural state. Han Jun said that the plan adjustment has nothing to do with this round of economic and trade consultations and is a separate visit plan. The US side also indicated that it will invite and arrange visits in the future. China is willing to further expand the scale of China-US agricultural trade on the basis of equality and mutual respect. And deepen agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
On September 21, the US “New York Times” quoted sources as saying that the Chinese delegation’s cancellation of the visit was due to fears that the media would be accused of “interfering in US internal affairs” or “for performance purposes.”
According to a report by Bloomberg on September 23, a person familiar with the matter said that China had cancelled the visit to the farms in the central United States at the request of the US, indicating that the cancellation of the visit was not due to negative twists and turns in the work-level consultations.
A person familiar with the matter said that the office of the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer was only aware of the fact that the visit to the Chinese delegation had been arranged, and then asked the Chinese delegation to cancel the visit to the farm.
Another person familiar with the matter said that the Chinese delegation was informed by the US that the cancellation of the itinerary was related to domestic reasons in the United States.
The US Consumer News Channel (CNBC) website reported on September 21 that Toshi James, executive vice chairman of Blackstone Group, said that if there is no trade agreement, the two sides will not have the basis for further negotiations and there will be no common interest. “I am worried that by that time, the situation may get out of control, become more hostile, and eventually become more like the Cold War.”
He also said that even if the two countries reach a small agreement, they can help boost market confidence and show that the two countries are willing to talk. This agreement can include consensus on “simple issues,” such as China buying more US agricultural products, leaving some major difficult issues to the future, such as intellectual property protection.
The US “Political News” previously published a statement saying that in view of China’s boycott attitude, it is impossible for the two countries to reach a comprehensive agreement. US Trade Representative Wright Heze also believes that reaching a comprehensive agreement is an “unusual challenge.”
