Todd Bishop
China’s “Global Times” issued a reply on Monday about other media’s negative reports on China-US trade negotiations, saying that China and the United States “very close” to reach the first phase of the trade agreement.
The Global Times posted an article link on Twitter on November 25. The article quoted experts who have close ties with the Chinese government as saying that China is also committed to continuing negotiations with the United States on the second or even third phase of the agreement.
Reuters reported on the 25th that trade experts and people close to the White House said last week that the “first phase” transaction, which was originally expected to be completed in November, may be postponed to a new year because Beijing demands a wider reduction of tariffs. And Washington has made the same request.
Reuters reported that according to US and Beijing officials and legislators and trade experts, the ambitious “second phase” trade agreement seems unlikely as the two countries are committed to a preliminary agreement.
The prospects for the first-stage trade agreement between China and the United States have become more complicated last week. Since the US Senate and the House of Representatives passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the bill has been sent to the White House. Donald Trump decides whether to sign. Reuters reports that Hong Kong’s just-concluded district board elections were conducted without major disruption and would help the situation.
US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said on the 23rd that the preliminary trade agreement with China is still possible by the end of the year. He warned that Washington will not turn a blind eye to what happened in Hong Kong, but he said that if there is no violence in the election, it will be a “good sign.”
