Trade Turmoil Gives Democrats an Opening to Hit Trump on Economy
By JIM TANKERSLEY and THOMAS KAPLAN
Democratic candidates have taken a calibrated approach to talking about the economy, but the trade war with China provides a potent new line of attack.
美國國內與G7 成員對美中國的貿易戰的看法:民主黨逮到攻勢機會;特朗普否認中國的貿易戰導致七國集團的摩擦
特朗普否認中國的貿易戰導致七國集團的摩擦
Trump denies China trade war causing friction at G7
Biarritz (France) (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Sunday denied that his trade war with China is causing friction at the G7 summit, but indicated he will hold off from a threatened further escalation for now.
"I think they respect the trade war. It has to happen," Trump told reporters in Biarritz, France, where he was meeting with other leaders of the G7 group.
Asked if the other leaders had criticized the massive trade struggle, he said "no, not at all. I haven't heard that".
In fact, European members of the G7, which includes Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the United States, have repeatedly expressed concern over the trade war's threat to the wider global economy.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the latest, telling Trump at a breakfast meeting Sunday that "we don't like tariffs on the whole".
"We are in favor of trade peace," he said.
Talks between Washington and Beijing on ending what Trump says is a massively unfair trade relationship have hit a brick wall.
On Friday, Trump responded to a new hike in Chinese tariffs on US goods by imposing heavy extra levies against a total of $550 billion in Chinese imports.
But Trump signalled Sunday what might be a slight softening in his position, admitting that he did have doubts about escalating the trade war.
"I have second thoughts about everything," he said.
He said he would hold off for now on declaring a national emergency to invoke an obscure law that he says gives him the power to order US companies out of China.
"I have the right to, if I want. I could declare a national emergency," he said. "I have no plan right now."
Trump first brandished the possibility of the drastic measure on Friday, when he tweeted that American companies "are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China."
Despite the more nuanced comments Sunday, Trump doubled down on the rationale for his high-risk strategy with China, saying "they steal and take out, and -- intellectual property theft, anywhere from $300 billion to $500 billion a year."
"We have a total loss of almost a trillion dollars a year," he said. "In many ways, that's an emergency."
比亞里茨(法國)(法新社) - 唐納德特朗普總統週日否認他與中國的貿易戰在七國集團首腦會議上造成摩擦,但表示他暫時不會受到進一步升級的威脅。
“我認為他們尊重貿易戰。它必鬚髮生,”特朗普在法國比亞里茨告訴記者,他在那裡與G7集團的其他領導人會面。
當被問及其他領導人是否批評了大規模的貿易鬥爭時,他說“不,根本沒有。我沒有聽說過”。
事實上,七國集團的歐洲成員國,包括英國,加拿大,德國,法國,意大利,日本和美國,一再對貿易戰對全球經濟的威脅表示擔憂。
英國首相鮑里斯約翰遜是最新的,在周日的早餐會上告訴特朗普“我們不喜歡整體的關稅”。
“我們贊成貿易和平,”他說。
華盛頓和北京之間關於結束特朗普所說的大規模不公平貿易關係的談判已經陷入困境。
上週五,特朗普對中國對美國商品徵收的關稅進行了新的上調,對中國進口的總額達到5500億美元徵收了大量的額外稅。
但特朗普週日表示,他的立場可能會略微疲軟,承認他確實對貿易戰的升級表示懷疑。
“我對所有事情都有第二個想法,”他說。
他說,他現在暫緩宣布國家緊急狀態,援引一項不起眼的法律,他說這使他有權將美國公司從中國下令。
“如果我願意的話,我有權利。我可以宣布國家緊急狀態,”他說。 “我現在沒有計劃。”
特朗普在周五首次宣布採取激烈措施的可能性,當時他在推特上稱美國公司“特此被命令立即開始尋找中國的替代品”。
儘管週日有更多細微的評論,但特朗普對他與中國的高風險戰略的理由進行了翻倍,他說:“他們偷竊和拿走,以及 - 知識產權盜竊,每年從3000億美元到5000億美元不等。”
“我們每年總損失近萬億美元,”他說。 “在很多方面,這是緊急情況。”