USTR Representative Nominee, “We will cooperate with the alliance against China’s aggressive trade policy”

China’s trade pressure, tariff barriers likely to continue
Avoid answering sensitive issues such as reviving TPP

[아시아경제 이현우 기자] Catherine Tai, the representative of the US Trade Representative (USTR), announced that he will establish an anti-China allied front with allies to lead the US-China trade dispute strongly. It is expected that President Joe Biden’s strategy to restore the alliance relationship he has pledged since his presidential election and strengthen the public encirclement network will be in full swing.

According to the Associated Press and other foreign media, on the 25th (local time), the Thai designator said, “We will try to rebuild international alliances and partnerships to show the allied front of allies against China” at a confirmation hearing held at the US Congress Senate Financial Committee. “As a founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United States needs to talk in a constructive way to strengthen this organization in the future.” It is interpreted as the intention to continue strengthening the alliance relationship to establish a public encirclement network.

“China is a rival, trading partner, and a very large player to cooperate to solve certain global challenges,” said Tai said, and argued that the United States should tightly control China’s deviant behavior, such as invasion of intellectual property rights, in order to preserve international trade order. . “We must convey the values ​​and rules that drive global trade, and these conditions must be enforced strongly,” he said. “We want to make other rules besides Super 301, which was frequently used at the time of the Trump administration in relation to issues such as intellectual property protection.” . He then emphasized that “there are promises that China must fulfill, and will urge faithful implementation,” and emphasized that it will also strongly demand the implementation of the trade agreement signed by the United States and China at the time of the Trump administration.

However, he avoided answering sensitive questions such as whether to revive the Pacific Rim Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) during the days of the Barack Obama administration. Regarding the TPP, the Thai nominee avoided the correct answer, saying, “I will try for trade cooperation with Asian countries,” and “but the world looks very different from 2015 when the TPP negotiations were held.” The TPP, led by the US at the time of the Barack Obama administration, disappeared in 2017 when former President Trump declared the withdrawal. Since then, the 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific have formed a new economic alliance through the Comprehensive and Progressive Circle-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (CPTPP).

At the same time, it was not clear whether the Trump administration would remove tariffs imposed on imported steel and aluminum at the time. However, the nominee of Thailand is known to support the active use of tariff barriers by mentioning that “tariff is a legitimate tool for trade policy and a very important part for fair trade.”

On the other hand, the Thai nominee is from a Taiwanese immigrant family and is evaluated as a Chinese expert. In the United States, he is famous for being in charge of the US-China trade dispute strategy during the Trump administration. With strong support from both the Democrats and the Republicans, it is expected to pass the approval hearing easily.

Reporter Lee Hyun-woo [email protected]