trade negotiations

HK Bill passed, Beijing does & can do Nothing

Days after Congress passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act last week [with a score of almost communist party discipline], Beijing vowed to take countermeasures if president Trump signed the document. Beijing left out specifics, fueling concerns that China would pull out of trade negotiations with the US. But after Trump signed the bill on Wednesday, Beijing only released a strong verbal protest. They would have been better off saying nothing. It would have made Western analysts raise their eyebrows and maybe shudder a little…

Trump ends TPP, will China gain?

The TPP has not been popular among many Republicans and some sectors of the US workforce. People attend a rally protesting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in Maui, Hawaii, the United States, July 29, 2015 [Xinhua]
International media pundits are warning that America’s retreat from the Asia-Pacific as it abandons the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is not only indicative of US President Donald Trump’s commitment to isolationist and protectionist policies, but also paves the way for other countries to step in and fill the vacuum.