Wang Peng, associate research fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, was interviewed by Bloomberg, talking about the phase one agreement and Sino-US relations in the future. This article is excerpted from Bloomberg News.
On January 15, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the phase one agreement on trade to great fanfare. While there is still much concern that the phase one agreement is insufficient in the long run to resolve the overall trade dispute and that many of the contentious issues will have to be resolved in the negotiations for a phase two, or even a phase three negotiation, the tensions have receded. The signing of the agreement also allowed Trump to wax eloquent about his personal relationship to Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he congratulated on achieving this agreement.
After nearly two years of fighting, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US President Donald Trump signed the phase one trade agreement in a lengthy grand signing ceremony at the White House on Wednesday (US time).The phase one trade agreement between China and the US reflected what Chinese officials have long stressed - that any deal must be balanced and fair and include initiatives that, if properly executed, could help address disputes and avoid further confrontation, Chinese analysts said on Thursday.
China and the U.S. signed the phase one trade agreement on January 15, 2020, after their on-and-off negotiations and tariff escalations that lasted for nearly two years. The phase one agreement is a hard-won achievement, indicating a temporary detente in the bilateral trade relations, providing a relatively stable and predictable environment for coming months. It also suggests a pathway for managing the two sides' differences in the future.
China will need time to assess the just-signed phase one trade agreement and other complicating factors before launching negotiations with the US for a phase two agreement. US officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, who claim the talks are already underway may be getting ahead of themselves, a government advisor said on Thursday.Even if China agrees to begin negotiations for a phase two agreement, it will likely demand that the US roll back all tariffs prior to talks, a prominent trade expert in China suggested.
As China and Myanmar deepen relations, many Westerners believe that India's strategic room in the Indian Ocean region would be squeezed. New Delhi has a similar standpoint, thinking it should strengthen cooperation with countries in the vicinity so as to neutralize the increasing strategic presence of China in the region. Such viewpoint has influenced India's participation in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and it has actually put the two neighbors in opposite positions in a zero-sum game.
A US decision to remove its designation of China as a currency manipulator in an apparent goodwill gesture ahead of the looming phase one trade agreement was met with widespread criticism on Tuesday in China, where many argued that the label was a mistake in the first place.However, the US move also showed signs that Washington is returning to rationality instead of political bullying tactics in the wake of the phase one agreement that could be beneficial to China, the US and the global economy in the long run, some Chinese experts said.
The appreciation of the yuan reflects the positive news that China and the US are set to sign a widely expected phase one trade agreement, but in the long run, the currency's exchange rate depends on how the deal is implemented, a Chinese financial expert said on Monday. The offshore yuan strengthened to a five-month high, moving beyond 6.9 per US dollar.
China has entered a new era of development. China now has an impact on the world that is ever more comprehensive, profound, and long-lasting, and the world is paying ever greater attention to China. What path did China take? Where is China going? What are China’s goals in shaping the world? How will China interact with the rest of the world? You can find the answer in the book “The Long March of Becoming a Powerful Country”.
The concept of human rights has a great variety of connotations about what it actually means in practice. The notion is generally accepted by all nations. But in different societies, with different forms of government and social interaction, human rights may take different forms, often as a result of cultural, social or political differences.The United States has often attempted to present itself as the "arbiter" of human rights.
China has entered a new era of development. China now has an impact on the world that is ever more comprehensive, profound, and long-lasting, and the world is paying ever greater attention to China. What path did China take? Where is China going? What are China’s goals in shaping the world? How will China interact with the rest of the world? You can find the answer in the book “The Long March of Becoming a Powerful Country”.
The theme of this years' Raisina Dialogue is quite postmodern - "21@20: Navigating the Alpha Century." What does it mean? There is no explanation in the agenda. But according to the theme of each panel discussion, I assume the organizers of the forum might think the year 2020 is the starting point of the 21st century and marks the end of the 20th century, and what's coming next will be like the first letter of the Greek alphabet - Alpha - which signals a new era.It is a theme designed with oriental imagination. It wisely responds to the global logic that has been misled by Western mind-set for 30 years.
In 2019, there were major changes in the traditional and non-traditional security situation of South Asia. Tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir continued and the possibility of an armed clash remained quite high. The geostrategic confrontations in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region are intensifying.The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating.Overall, the security situation in South Asia is getting worse, which does not bode well for the region's economic development. But there are mainly three possible solutions to improve the situation.
China's plan to lower or eliminate import tariffs on a wide range of items, mostly consumer goods, will be a boon to both the Chinese and US stock markets, analysts said on Monday. The move, which comes as China and the US are on track to sign a phase one deal limiting their trade friction, is positive for listed companies in sectors that stand to benefit from the move - and to companies in general.China on Monday announced that duty rates on more than 850 consumer items, from frozen pork and avocados to orange juice and high-technology products, will be reduced or eliminated.
US President Donald Trump said at a press conference in Washington, DC, Wednesday that "No Americans were harmed" in the missile attacks by Iran. He didn't say the US will launch military retaliation, only that it will impose "additional punishing economic sanctions" on Iran.Trump's address showed that the US has already got what it wants, such as the death of a major hostile figure in the region, and no military retaliation being announced has also pacified Americans who are worried about a war.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will lead a delegation to Washington next week to sign the phase one trade agreement with the US, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said Thursday. The signing will bring an end to weeks of work on the deal and mark a milestone in negotiations to resolve the long-running trade war.While the interim agreement delivers some relief to the world economy amid rising trade and geopolitical uncertainties, it only represents a new beginning for Beijing and Washington in addressing their profound differences on a wide range of issues, and tensions between the two biggest economies will likely persist, Chinese analysts said.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's (HKSAR) future role as an international financial hub is still promising, thanks to the central government's internationalization efforts and the city's important position as a bridge between China and the West, industry analysts said on Tuesday.Their comments came after Executive Director of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX) Li Xiaojia issued his report for Hong Kong's development in 2020 on Monday, in which he said that the world needs more and better connections and Hong Kong's role as the connector between East and West will only become more vital.
On New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his annual speech, reviewing the country's accomplishments in 2019 and sending his wishes for 2020.President Xi called 2020 as "a year of milestone significance," as China is set to eliminate poverty, finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and realize its first centenary goal. China will remain open to the outside world and continue to join hands with countries across the globe to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
A typical Western view of the countries engaging in the BRI is that these states are attracted to China's money. What matters is not whether the BRI is part of China's strategy, but that it can stimulate and promote the development of countries along the route. Development is the first priority. In the current globalization process, development requires cooperation as well as infrastructure construction.Why are countries along the BRI willing to approach China? This is the crux of the matter.
China and the United States will sign a phase one trade deal this month, an important step forward in their attempts to ease tensions. Their trade negotiation teams have made great efforts to this end. Needless to say, responses to the agreement have been mixed, and there are some criticisms both in the United States and China. However, this only shows that the final agreement has a certain balance, and it definitely cannot satisfy everyone. The two sides have achieved a necessary compromise.