Speaking with Bloomberg on the sidelines of our U.S.-China Track II Economic Dialogue in Beijing, Ambassador Carla A. Hills, chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and former U.S. Trade Representative under President George H. W. Bush, reflects on past experiences negotiating with the Chinese and offers her perspective on the ongoing trade dispute. Recorded 7/11/19.
“If we had joined hands with Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and approached China to say, ‘When you joined the World Trade Organization, you committed to national treatment and non-discrimination rules. Those have been violated in the following 8 or 9 ways and we need to have them fixed. So tell us what will be done and when it will be done – we need a blueprint for the improvement,’ China would have agreed. It could not have turned its back on the economies that represented over 50% of global GDP.”
“I have always hoped that the two largest economies would be able to solve the issues that confront the global economy together. It would be much, much better than standing alone.”