Chun Han Wong of The Wall Street Journal reports that Donald Trump softened his tough stance on China after taking office, postponing tariff threats and opting for talks instead. While criticizing China on trade and security, he expressed a willingness to negotiate. China welcomed the shift, though both sides remain cautious. He writes:
Donald Trump’s criticism of China on the campaign trail and after his election had raised the specter that Day 1 of his second presidency would reignite a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
As he took office this week, President Trump deferred the threat of tariffs and expressed a willingness to talk business with China’s leader, postponing what appeared to be a looming clash—while repeating threats to take action against Beijing in matters of trade, technology and security.
From China’s perspective, “this is a very positive start,” said Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing think tank, and an adviser to the Chinese government. […]
Trump is flattering Beijing for now, but in reality, he is also putting the responsibility on China for resolving disputes, Jin said. “In the future, should issues not get handled well, he can blame China.”
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