Official calls for US-China trade ties to be boosted

The Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, Greg Gilligan, called for trade relations between China and the US to be restored to a "workable place" after prolonged tensions had escalated into a tariff war under the Trump administration."We need to take a step back from the incredibly heightened tension of the last two years, we need to seek areas of cooperation," Gilligan said on Sunday from Beijing.

US President Donald Trump seized on longstanding concerns about Chinese commercial espionage, the forced handover of technology, and state subsidies for Chinese companies, and in 2018 elevated them into a high-stakes tariff war.Relations further soured last year after he tightened controls on Chinese purchases of computer chips and other high-tech components.While a win for President-elect Joe Biden offers no guarantee of relief, Beijing hopes to avoid a further deterioration and see negotiations put on an even keel.Yet, trade issues are likely to remain on the forefront of bilateral relations.

"Whether it's President elect Biden or General Secretary Xi Jinping, both of them have to manage domestic politics, and the relationship is such that I don't think either one of them can afford to cede the hawkish high ground to whatever domestic rivals they may have," Gilligan said.

(Image Credit: AP) 

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