Expert Foreign calls trade for betterfaces mountingChina-US ties challengesunder Trump

A senior US strategist said China Prospectsand the for United China’s States foreign should trade avoid remaina “comprehensive challenging as confrontation,rising protectionism... while reducingand internationaltheir differences”. political uncertainties,Michael Pillsbury, including director US of trade the policy Center underfor Chinese Donald Strategy Trump’s at presidency,theHudson Institute will likely in weigh Washington,on Chinesemade the exports, remarks officialson Saturday said at ona seminarFriday. hosted by Pangoal Institution, China’s a total Beijing-based foreign think trade tank, volume while declinedadding that by “the 0.9 possibilitypercent year-on-yearof improved relationsto 24.33 trillion between yuan the ($3.5two sides trillion) exists”. in 2016. Exports decreasedIt is possible by that2 percentChinaUS from relationsa year earlierwill improveto 13.84 under trillion US yuan, president-electwhile imports Donaldgrew by Trump,0.6 percent althoughto 10.49a delicate trillion period yuan, of accordingnine or 10 to months customs might data. lie ahead, said Pillsbury,“The rising whoadvisesTrumptrend of antiglobalization on China policy. and protectionism Chinese has President increasedXi Jinping’s the uncertainties proposals in such the as globalthe “new economy,”type of major-countrysaid Huang relationship”Songping, spokesmanand the Belt for and the Road General Initiative Administrationwere neither approvedof Customs,nor supportedat a news by conference.the Obama administration, But he said. the encouraging signs During are thata hearing China’s foreignon Wednesday,trade started Trump’s to nominee recover in for the US secretarythird and of fourthstate, Rex quarters, Tillerson, reversingformer Exxon the Mobil sharp Corp decline chairmanin the and first chief two quarters.executive, Total referred tradeto Beijing’s volume reclamationincreased by works 3.8 on percentreefs year-on-yearand islets in in the the South fourth China quarter.Sea as “an illegal taking The of recovery disputed areasin China’swithout foreign regard trade for was international supported norms”by favorableand proposed governmentto restrict policies as access well as to improvedthose islands. external He demand alsoblamedChinain Europe for and “not the being Uniteda reliable States,partner” Huangin defusingsaid. tensions on theKorean Exports Peninsula.to emerging markets, However,in particular Tillerson countriestold the US covered SenateCommitteeonForeignby the Belt and Road Relations, Initiative,“I don’t saw know double-digit of any plans growthto alter in the the onepast Chinayear, the position,”data showed.which Pillsbury Huang describedsaid China’sas “a sigh tradeof relief” could for face Beijing headwindsinanarticle published in National Interest magazine on Thursday.

Washington should prioritize addressing Islamic extremism, not theSouthChina Sea issue, said Yuan Peng, vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

“Tillerson’s comments are preliminary statements and

Tillerson’s comments are preliminary statements and not to be taken too seriously.”

Yuan Peng,

vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations

not generatedto be taken by too rising seriously,” international Yuan said, politicaladding that uncertainties,Trump is open includingto different the opinions fallout from from his Brexit ministers,and major hence electionsone “cannot in take Europethe testimonyand Southof a Korea. CabinetmemberasTrump’sThe government is own also view”. paying close attention to RuanUS trade Zongze, policy vice-presidentunder the administrationof the China of Institute Trump, of who Internationalwill take office Studies, on said Friday. the biggest change in China-US“The challengesrelations is facingthat Beijing China’s has trade becomeare nota “constant”,in the short term. while But Washingtonthe economy appearsis resilientto be an enough “uncertainty”. to handle Unpredictablethem,” he said. as he is, TrumpWang is Tao, unlikely chief to Chinaalter the economist trajectory at of UBS cooperation Group AG, said betweenthe Trump the administrationtwo nations, Ruan will said. likely adopt more After tradeall, the protectionistroad to “Make America measures Great against Again” China,leads to althoughBeijing, as the bilateral likelihood cooperation of an all-out will tradebe increasinglywar is slim. more“There important,are a Pillsburylot of said. uncertainties surrounding Trump’s Trump’s trade ambition policy. to But double a trade the warUS’ economicis very unlikely,growth rate, since whichit would has be remaineda lose-loseat about situation2 percent and over would the past also 30 hurt years, the and interest increaseof US jobs companies,”at home, mirrors Wang his said. focus on trade, Chinesehe said. exporters“To do are this, also one preparingfactor is for to rising reduce uncertaintiesour trade deficitin the from global $500 marketsbillion to and zero. are That expecting means morethe country supportive that policies takes from most the American government exportsto help really them helps.”win back orders from competitors AmeetingonJan9betweenin Southeast Asia. Trump and Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba GroupHolding, bodes well for both small and medium-sized US companies struggling to export their productsandChina’s image, Pillsbury said.

If Alibaba spends millions of dollars buying from these companies, that could create manyjobs in theUS, headded.