How a History of Discord Fuels Today’s U.S.-China Trade Tensions
As President Trump prepares to meet with China’s Xi Jinping this week, their trade dispute is remarkably similar to one 26 years ago
A regional economic summit ended in acrimony in mid-November as China adopted a more aggressive posture, suggesting any path to a possible trade deal with the U.S. will be complicated. Photo composite: Sharon Shi
The Republican White House, responding to business complaints of Chinese theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, launches the process for imposing tariffs on China’s imports.
That threat sparks a flurry of high-level negotiations with the Chinese government, which in turn agrees to take a series of corrective steps, including a new patent law and copyright-protection regulations. The Chinese promises are enshrined in a memorandum of understanding with the U.S., and the White House backs away from the tariffs.
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