BEIJING (AP) – After a brief truce with China to cooperate on North Korea, President Donald Trump visits Beijing this week amid mounting U.S. trade complaints, with limited prospects for progress on market access, technology policy and other sore points.
The strains between the world’s two biggest economies are fueling anxiety among global companies and advocates of free trade that they could retreat into protectionism, dragging down growth.
Washington accuses Beijing of backsliding on market-opening promises, and Trump said last week that the U.S. trade deficit with China – $347 billion last year – is “so bad that it’s embarrassing.”
“I don’t want to embarrass anybody four days before I land in China, but it’s horrible,” said Trump.
His government has raised import duties on Chinese aluminum foil, stainless steel and plywood, and is investigating whether Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.