(Washington) The Biden administration is not seeking to sign a Phase 2 bilateral agreement with China, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Thursday during a Senate hearing.
Posted at 2:21 p.m.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump signed Phase 1 of a trade treaty with Vice Premier Liu He in January 2020 that included a commitment to purchase $200 billion worth of U.S. goods.
This first step was to be followed by a second phase intended to address more delicate issues such as the protection of intellectual property.
During her hearing before the House on Wednesday, then Thursday before the Senate, Katherine Tai indicated that the Biden administration wanted Beijing to respect its commitments made in phase 1.
But “we are not necessarily considering another agreement in the next phase,” she said Thursday before the senators.
However, she stressed that this administration intended to focus “on the challenges” posed by China, in reference to commercial practices deemed unfair.
Washington accuses the Asian giant of subsidizing its companies to boost its exports, which over time has had the effect of undermining many industrial sectors in the United States and Europe.
In addition, China is heavily criticized for imposing technology transfers on companies wishing to do business in the country.
On Wednesday, Katherine Tai had stressed that faced with “a very, very fierce competitor”, the United States had to ensure its economic independence from Beijing by bringing industrial production back to the country, for example, in the absence of power. , in the short term, change China’s business practices.
She also recalled the challenge: that the United States retain their competitiveness and technological superiority.