Economics
Wary of Trump’s Flip-Flops, China Prepares for Worst on Trade
- Trump’s tactics further deepen the distrust, analyst says
- Xi lacks wiggle room as hardliners around him feel emboldened
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Perhaps nobody was more surprised to hear that China had called President Donald Trump’s administration to restart trade talks than the government in Beijing itself.
After a weekend of confusing signals, Trump’s credibility has become a key obstacle for China to reach a lasting deal with the U.S., according to Chinese officials familiar with the talks who asked not to be identified. Only a few negotiators in Beijing see a deal as actually possible ahead of the 2020 U.S. election, they said, in part because it’s dangerous for any official to advise President Xi Jinping to sign a deal that Trump may eventually break.