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Saturday23rdSeptember2017

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TrumpRightOnChinaTheFirstTime

September23,2017

ByRobertWeinerandBenLasky

NationalReportfromWashington–firstinamonthlyseriesbyRobertWeinerandBenLasky

AfterdeferringtoChinaforKoreaandseeingnoresults,PresidentTrump’sreturntodiscipliningChinaovertradecrimesistherightposition. OnAug.14,PresidentTrumpauthorizedaprobeonChina’stradepractices,withafocusonintellectualpropertytheftaswellastheftofAmericantechnologies. Addtothemix: devaluedcurrency,refusaltosellfairquantitiesofAmerican-madeproducts,unbelievablylowworkerwages,leadandotherpoisonsindogfoodandbabyfood,plagiarizedhealthandcancerresearch,deficienttires. Trumphasnowcomebackaroundtothecorrectview.

ThePresidentslippedoffthewagonforawhile. HepressedonthepointthattheU.S.neededChinatohelpdeteranuclearNorthKorea. However,dozensofmissiletestslater,withKimJongUnevenclosertoalong-rangenuclearweapon,TrumpnowrealizesthatChinaonlyusedtheNorthKoreabaittogivethemselvesmoretradefreedomagainstus. ItistimetocalltheChinesegovernmentout.

TheU.S.economyisweakenedbyChineseintellectualpropertytheft,counterfeitgoods,anddeficientproductscompetingwithAmericanbrands. ChinawasunwillingtohelpmakeNorthKoreareleaseOttoWarmbierearlyenoughtogethimmedicalhelp. InaninterviewonCNNSen.ChuckSchumer(D-NY)theSenateDemocraticLeader,toldTrumphowtohandleChina:“Yousay,‘youcan’tpushAmericaaroundanymore,’whichthey’vebeenabletodoforadministrationafteradministration. Stopdoingthat. ThePresidentshouldsay,‘You’renotdealingwithNorthKoreathewayyoushouldbe.’”

OnJune20,TrumptweetedaboutWarmbier,“WhileIgreatlyappreciatetheeffortsofPresidentXiChinatohelpwithNorthKorea,ithasnotworkedout. AtleastIknowChinatried!”

Instead,Chinaisgivingusavictoryhereandthere–theywillnowimportbeeffromus. That’sniceofthem. ApparentlywecansellcowstoChina,butnotcars.

SchumercriticizedTrumpforatfirstreversingcourse. InanApril12pressconferencerightafterhismeetingswithChina’sleader,Trumpsaid,“They’renotcurrencymanipulators,”whichhehadcalledthematleastfifteentimesonthecampaigntrail. SchumersaidofTrumpandhisteam,“Nowtheysaythey(China)aren’tmanipulatingtheircurrency. Theyare. IthinkChinajustdoeswhatitwants…Theygaintrillionsofdollarsbystealingintellectualproperty,bydumpingexcesssteelandaluminum. ThewaytogetChinatohelpwithNorthKoreaisbetougherwiththemontrade.”

PresidentTrumpsaidthatwhenhemetwithPresidentXiattheWhiteHouse,“Afterlisteningfor10minutes,Irealizedit’snotsoeasy. Ifeltprettystronglythattheyhadatremendouspower[over]NorthKorea.”OfcourseChinahasleverageoverNorthKorea. NorthKoreadependsonChinaasatradingpartner. In10minutes,Trump’sviewonChinaforthirtyyearsapparentlychangedwithapersuasiveshortargumentfromthepresidentofacountrythatcontinuallywalksallovertheU.S. ThiswasTrumplisteningtothe“lastmanintheroom”atitsworst.

TrumpsaidhetoldPresidentXi,“Thewayyou’regoingtomakeagoodtradedealistohelpuswithNorthKorea;otherwisewe’rejustgoingtogoitalone.”ThelastpartofthatsentenceiswhattheU.S.,alongwithitsallies,shoulddo. Chinawillhelpregardlessbecauseit’sinChina’sowninteresttodoso.

NotallowingChinatotakeadvantageoftheU.S.hasbeenaDemocraticissueforoverfortyyears,fromDickGephardttoBernieSanders,anditbecameakeyoneforTrumptoo–arareareaofcampaignagreement. Thepresident’spromisetostanduptoChinawasoneofthemajorreasonshewontheelection.

ChinashouldnotgetafreeridebecausewewanttheirhelpwithNorthKorea. In2015,theFBIreleasedasurveyof165anonymouscompanies,halfofwhichreportedtheyhadbeenvictimsofeconomicespionage. Ofthathalf,95percentblameChina.

ThecounterfeitgoodsmarketinChinacostscompanies$20billionayear. AretheybuyingusbyAmericans enjoyinga$30“Rolex”fromaTimesSquarevendor?Simplyput,China’sillegalactionsarecostingAmericanjobs.

TopreventanuclearNorthKorea,therecentU.S.deploymentofthe“motherofallbombs”wasasmuchawarningtoothercountries,includingNorthKorea,asitwasaboutdestroyingISIStunnelsinAfghanistan. TheU.S.hasmilitarymightandiswillingtouseit. NorthKoreaknowsthat. ItisnotworthcavingtoChina,whocoststheU.S.billionsofdollarsayear,andallowingthemtokeepmanipulatingcurrencyandcommittingeconomicespionage.

OttoWarmbier’scomaanddeath,andKorea’smissiletestsandH-bomb,arejustmoreproofSchumerisright—InsteadofmakingnicewithChina,PresidentTrumpmustholdthemaccountable,ashepromised.

RobertWeinerisaformerClintonWhiteHousespokesmanandspokesmanfortheHouseGovernmentOperationsCommittee. HewasseniorstaffforCongressmenEdKoch,CharlesRangel,ClaudePepper, and JohnConyers,Jr.

BenLaskyisseniorpolicyanalystatRobertWeinerAssociatesandSolutionsforChange.