China Brief on three key questions for the next White House.
This week, China Brief covered how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his allies will approach Beijing in the four years ahead. In my view, three key questions remain about China policy in the next White House:
Can the administration’s China policy can be reconciled with its domestic economic needs? Trump’s oft-stated preference for tariffs on China set at 60 percent may lead to significant inflation.
This week, China Brief covered how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his allies will approach Beijing in the four years ahead. In my view, three key questions remain about China policy in the next White House:
Can the administration’s China policy can be reconciled with its domestic economic needs? Trump’s oft-stated preference for tariffs on China set at 60 percent may lead to significant inflation.
How much leverage does Beijing get from business holdings in China among Trump allies? Trump has shown that he can be persuaded when it comes to Chinese business interests if spoken to directly.
Is the United States facing down China out of ideological principle, or is it doing so out of a need for geopolitical primacy? These differences would significantly affect U.S. positions on Taiwan.
Finally, staffing choices matter. Some figures in Trump’s orbit have shown a commitment to human rights in China, including his pick for national security advisor, Rep. Mike Waltz. Sen. Marco Rubio, who has played a prominent role in human rights work, is also broadly in this camp. (On Monday, it was reported that he is Trump’s likely pick for secretary of state.)
Yet Trump has also praised Xi for ruling “with an iron fist” and for his abolition of presidential term limits.
Read it here: Where Does China Stand With the Next White House?
This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump transition. Follow along here.
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