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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 16 January 2020

Emphasis on U.S. exports, trade secrets in China trade deal

By KEVIN FREKING and Beijing is to step up pur-
PAUL WISEMAN chases of American farm
Associated Press products and other goods.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump cited beef, pork,
United States and China poultry, seafood, rice and
reached a trade deal dairy products as exam-
Wednesday that eases ten- ples.
sions between the world's U.S. trade officials said the
two biggest economies, of- agreement would end a
fers massive export oppor- long-standing practice
tunities for U.S. farms and of China pressuring for-
factories, and promises to eign companies to trans-
do more to protect Ameri- fer technology to Chinese
can trade secrets. companies as a condition
Still, the Phase 1 agreement for obtaining market ac-
leaves unresolved Wash- cess. Lighthizer said China
ington's fundamental dif- has also agreed to combat
ferences with Beijing, which patent theft and counter-
is relying on massive gov- feit products, which would
ernment intervention in the include forfeiting machin-
economy to turn China into ery used for making coun-
a technological power. terfeit products.
President Donald Trump is The 86-page agreement
wanting to show progress President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, after signing a trade makes it easier to bring
on an issue that he has agreement in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020, in Washington. criminal cases in China
Associated Press
made a hallmark of his against those accused of
presidency and hopes to by Beijing's chief negotia- Chinese government sub- made in the initial phase. stealing trade secrets. It in-
use in his reelection cam- tor, Vice Premier Liu He. sidizes its companies. That "We have to make sure this cludes provisions designed
paign this year. Some of the president's was the concern voiced is implemented properly," to stop Chinese govern-
Wednesday's signing cer- Democratic critics were when Trump sparked a Lighthizer said. ment officials from using
emony at the White House unimpressed. trade war by imposing tar- "This is the first agreement administrative and regu-
gave him the chance to "True to form, Trump is get- iffs on Chinese imports in like this of its kind and we latory procedures to fer-
do that just hours before ting precious little in return July 2018. have to make sure that it ret out foreign companies'
the House voted to send for the significant pain and "The Phase 1 deal contains works." trade secrets and allowing
articles of impeachment to uncertainty he has imposed meaningful commitments The agreement is intended that information to get into
the Senate for a trial. on our economy, farmers, but by no means lives up to ease some U.S. econom- the hands of Chinese com-
"We mark more than just and workers," said former to the initial objectives of ic sanctions on China while petitors. q
an agreement. We mark a Vice President Joe Biden, the administration,'' said
sea change in internation- one of the Democrats hop- Wendy Cutler, a former
al trade," Trump declared ing to replace Trump. U.S. trade negotiator who
during a rambling cer- House Speaker Nancy is now vice president at the
emony in which he made Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a Asia Society Policy Institute.
references to former FBI Di- statement that "with the Further Chinese conces-
rector James Comey, the economy losing thousands sions would force Bejing to
impeachment proceed- of manufacturing jobs and make major changes in its
ings and a possible visit to Farm Country reeling from state-dominated econom-
Mount Rushmore on July the damage caused by ic model, which means
Fourth for a fireworks dis- President Trump, Ameri- "the prospects for a timely
play. cans are left with nothing conclusion are remote,''
The Chinese delegation more than a showy televi- she said.
also praised the pact. Chi- sion ceremony to try to hide The agreement leaves in
nese leader Xi Jinping said the complete absence of place tariffs on about $360
in a letter to Trump that the concrete progress, trans- billion in Chinese imports,
first-phase deal was "good parency or accountability leverage the administra-
for China, for the U.S. and in this 'phase one' agree- tion hopes will generate fu-
for the whole world." ment." ture concessions.
He said it also showed the The administration ac- U.S. Trade Representative
two countries had the abil- knowledges the agree- Robert Lighthizer said work
ity to "act on the basis of ment leaves unresolved on follow-up negotiations
equality and mutual re- some U.S. complaints — will hinge on how China
spect." The letter was read most notably, the way the fulfills the commitments it