Phase Two of China Deal Not Expected in 2020, Says Asia Society President
While the phase one deal is a welcome pause in trade war hostilities between China and the U.S., the president of the Asia Society Policy Institute said a conclusion to phase two -- which presumably would lift Section 301 tariffs -- won't come this year. The think tank's president, Kevin Rudd, who also is a former prime minister of Australia, said at a program Jan. 28, “I think the best way to look at the phase one deal is that it's a ceasefire. I wouldn't go beyond that, to be honest.” He added, “I don't think it's in either side's political interest to see phase two conclude or fail on this side of a presidential election.”
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
In response to a question from International Trade Today, he declined to speculate on whether a second Trump term would lead to the lifting of the tariffs, or whether a President Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders would reverse them. Rudd said that even though he is a center-left politician, he believes “free trade is good for everyone. I know that's out of fashion these days.”