Washington - Saba:
The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing US administration officials, that President Donald Trump's administration is witnessing a "deep division" over the strategy towards China.
According to the newspaper's report, Trump and his cronies, upon taking office, showed "a willingness to engage in negotiations with China to reduce tension on trade, Taiwan and other issues." However, Trump's desire to win the trade war with Beijing has come to "jeopardize" the chances of such negotiations.
The paper notes that the trade war erupted before the different currents within the White House were able to define a unified position on China.
According to the newspaper, Trump's escalation may "poison" relations between the two countries despite the deep interdependence between their economies, suggesting that the US president may eventually be forced to choose between an "unhappy marriage" or a "resounding divorce" with China.
On April 2, Trump signed a decree imposing "reciprocal" tariffs on U.S. imports from other countries, with a base rate of 10 percent.
From April 9, higher duties were imposed on imports from 57 countries, calculated based on the size of the US trade deficit with each of them, with the aim of bringing the deficit into balance. But on the same day, these higher duties were frozen for 90 days for all countries, except China.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had earlier described the US tariff hike on Chinese goods as unjustified. According to him, such measures damage global markets and discredit the leadership in Washington itself.
Wang Yi also warned of a decisive response if the US does not stop economic pressure on China.
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