CNN correspondent Matt Rivers said China is blinking in the game of “last-minute brinksmanship” on the U.S.-China trade deal as the country continues with plans to move forward even after harsh comments coming from Washington.
“Given the harsher words coming out of D.C., there was some talk that Beijing would cancel the Chinese delegation’s trip … but it is going forward as planned,” Rivers said Tuesday on CNN’s “New Day.”
“And as you said, it’s an attempt by the Chinese to get these trade talks back on track. But make no mistake about it. In this game of last-minute brinkmanship between China and the United States, at least for now, this is China blinking.”
Trump tweeted his plan to no longer have the U.S. lose “600 to 800 Billion Dollars a year on Trade” with China on Monday.
The United States has been losing, for many years, 600 to 800 Billion Dollars a year on Trade. With China we lose 500 Billion Dollars. Sorry, we’re not going to be doing that anymore!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019
Vice Premier Liu He is set to join the Chinese delegation in Washington within the week to meet with U.S. trade officials, according to CNBC. (RELATED: CNN’s Andrew Gillum Tells Joe Biden It’s A Mistake To Underestimate China)
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Rivers said if China wanted to play hardball, officials would have canceled the meeting altogether and said their presence shows they want to make a deal.
“Had China chosen not to send a delegation to the U.S. this week, that would mean a deal was off for a long time,” he said.
“So by sending their chief economic negotiator to D.C., I think that shows you that China wants a deal to happen. They don’t want tariffs to go up. They’re nervous about that. And I think they’re taking the president and his advisers at their word, that tariffs would go up on Friday. I think there was some thought here in Beijing — they were surprised at what the president said. They weren’t expecting it, but they do want to get a deal done and sending their top negotiator means that they’re serious about that.”
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