I suspect Xi wants this dispute to continue for internal Chinese reasons. The tariffs impact different sectors and regions in China differently. It may be continued tariffs are reducing overcapacity in a manner that allows Xi to save face internally. It could be the tarrifs are breaking the back of powerful exporting provinces (eg. Jiagnsu) and helping Xi consolidate power. It may also be the case that things need to…
I don’t know how by cutting down exports Xi plans to consolidate power? Could you please expand on the mechanism by which this could happen? Tariffs are breaking backs of exporting provinces, may be they could be ill informed and Chinese propaganda can spin this to blame US.
China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
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Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
I feel like none knows how to deal with the Chinese, there's a cultural gap that the US and Europe are not accounting for, the Chinese care a lot about saving face and status
To me it feels like Trump did it more or less intentionally. He seem to know that behind a stone faced facade, Xi is an anxious and insecure person — the same 7th grader he was when his family was purged.
In Western democracies, if you lose political power at worst you get indicted (and usually pardoned). Half of the country still likes you.
In China, you face serious prison time, your family's assets are seized, you're expelled from politics, and media runs a solid month of anti-you propaganda.
Harsh consequences for what many times is a roll of the dice.
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
Perhaps you can understand it better if you ask yourself if he and his administration is actually capable of achieving anything. Did his tweetbluster and love for Kim denuclearize the Korean Peninsula? Did his wall or child caging stop immigration? Did his repeal of parts of the ACA give people "the best health coverage"? Did his Muslim travel ban stop terrorism and make America safer? Did Jared bring peace to the mi…
Some of the stuff he talks about are legitimate issues that need to be fixed. He's just so superficial with his changes that none of the problems get fixed. In some cases he just exacerbates the problem. I personally feel people dismiss these issues because trump talks about fixing them. They seem to think admitting a problem trump is talking about is real means they support trump. That's absolutely crazy. Then again…
Welcome to US politics. It’s very sad that a lot of people buy into this.
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are very real problems with how China treats foreign companies (intellectual theft, requirements to partner with Chinese companies and many more). I'm happy they get addressed. However, Trump completely misrepresents the problem and the impact of tariffs. The negotiations clearly are tackling the right issues, yet here he is talking about trade deficits as some kind of theft and tariffs as a straight up win lik…
Does his understanding matter? If Mnuchin and Lighthizer are hitting all the right notes in the negotiation, does it matter if Trump understands any of it? Let him bluster and take credit for Mnuchin and Lighthizer's good work.
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#55I suspect Xi wants this dispute to continue for internal Chinese reasons. The tariffs impact different sectors and regions in China differently. It may be continued tariffs are reducing overcapacity in a manner that allows Xi to save face internally. It could be the tarrifs are breaking the back of powerful exporting provinces (eg. Jiagnsu) and helping Xi consolidate power. It may also be the case that things need to…
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
The trade war isn't helping anyone. It's costing US consumers, companies, farmers and the stock market. Just a quick search, I couldn't find any mainstream, usually Republican leaning economists, magazines, or newspapers that said it was a good idea.
It isn’t costing consumers much. I run a company that was affected by the tariffs. If we had kept manufacturing in China, cost of goods sold (COGS) would have gone up by 25%. But COGS are only 50% of the price customers pay for our products. So the price increase to our customers would have only been 12.5%. But we didn’t keep our manufacturing in China, we moved it to Taiwan and Vietnam. As a result, our COGS went up…
So you’re generalizing your experience from a “company you run” to a country with a $19.39 trillion GDP....
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#57China is playing the old game, negotiation and negotiation and negotiation, never intend to make any change. They can even make promise to make changes after long long long negotiations and never do anything. And then when someone finally decide to do something about it, they will ask for a new round of negotiation and negotiation and negotiation. Xi will stay in power may be in next 20 years, and he knows US will ha…
Incorrect. The tariffs are costing Chinese businesses and the government greatly. There is some other benefit to this that isn't explained by negotiation tactics. Although I cannot rule out a total misread of Trump by China, due to poor analysis, intelligence or misinformation.
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#58So basically China's stance is, we cannot change our laws so our bad trading practices must remain in place? While we only get news of trade imbalances between US and China to include all their tariffs and restrictions can someone for the EU or elsewhere chime in with how their nations fare?
Reminds me of a lot of corporations. “This doesn’t make sense but it’s policy”. Never mind that they wrote the policy themselves.
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
The trade war isn't helping anyone. It's costing US consumers, companies, farmers and the stock market. Just a quick search, I couldn't find any mainstream, usually Republican leaning economists, magazines, or newspapers that said it was a good idea.
there are some narrow interests that favor Trump tariffs. e.g. the United Steelworkers Union: "China ... dumps its excess aluminum and steel on the world market at super-discounted prices. The United States, in conjunction with European allies and others, has repeatedly over the past decade negotiated with China to stop defying the rules it agreed to abide by when it gained entrance to the World Trade Organization in…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/07/trumps-st...
Re: China backtracked on almost all aspects of U.S. trade deal – sources
#60The most recent tweets by Trump regarding this: "The reason for the China pullback & attempted renegotiation of the Trade Deal is the sincere HOPE that they will be able to “negotiate” with Joe Biden or one of the very weak Democrats, and thereby continue to ripoff the United States (($500 Billion a year)) for years to come... Guess what, that’s not going to happen! China has just informed us that they (Vice-Premier)…
A US import tax on Chinese goods is a tax on American consumers and manufacturers.
The way to tax China itself would be an export tax on money bound to China, including the transfers of immobile or intangible assets to Chinese nationals or corporations via domestic exchanges or brokerages--and including the cash value of transferred intellectual property.
Imports are paid for by exports. If you're worried about a trade imbalance, you could always say that the other nation can keep sending more goods if they want, but we'll only pay for them with trade goods and services, not with cash, or ownership of land and capital.