Trump Promotes Deals in China, but Hints at Long Trade Fight Ahead
Mr. Trump made harsh criticism of trade with China a centerpiece of his campaign for president
and faces pressure to deliver on promises to level the playing field and close the yawning American trade deficit with China.
Mr. Trump hinted at coming tensions on those fronts on Thursday, saying he hoped to address "the chronic imbalance in our relationship as it pertains to trade." "This includes addressing China’s market access restrictions
and technology transfer requirements," he said, "which prevent American companies from being able to fairly compete within China." Both countries face pressure to show their reasonable sides ahead of what could be a difficult fight.
After initially focusing this year on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement
and the United States’ free-trade pact with South Korea, Trump administration officials plan to pursue previous promises to investigate what they call Chinese theft of American intellectual property.
China would then buy much of the gas, in a deal that American officials said could be worth $40 billion or more in the coming years.
Who can blame a country for taking advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens?" Since his election, President
Trump has gone from hammering China on trade policy to praising President Xi Jinping for his country’s response to North Korea.
Trump administration officials and some business executives said the deals would not have occurred without Mr. Trump’s visit.