’Restore Deterrence’ of Bad Chinese Trade Practices

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

The U.S.-China “Phase One” trade deal being signed today bears little resemblance to President Trump’s ambitious agenda for dramatically restructuring bilateral commercial ties, let alone ending Chinese predatory trade practices.

To be sure, the PRC is supposed to buy additional  U.S. foodstuffs. But China would likely be purchasing more pork, wheat and other commodities from us anyway given the disease-driven decimation of late of their domestic production.

Mr. Trump is certainly alive to the danger that, as with all of the previous trade deals with the Chinese Communist Party, this one will be violated by Beijing. We can also bet that the Chinese will stonewall any effort to get more – and more enforceable – structural reforms in a “Phase Two” deal. There must be real costs for such bad faith, and notice should be served now in the interest of deterring it later.

This is Frank Gaffney.