The U.S. has made its position clear! It's evident that the U.S. has realized we won't make major concessions, and as a result, the U.S. itself has lowered its expectations! On September 3, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai stated that during the upcoming high-level China-U.S. meeting, both sides are expected to announce arrangements regarding agricultural trade and related non-tariff barriers. The U.S. has no intention of reaching a vast and comprehensive trade agreement with China but instead aims to manage bilateral relations effectively. We anticipate both sides may make further announcements on agriculture and associated non-tariff barriers to promote increased U.S. agricultural exports to China.
Clearly, from Tai’s statements, it’s unmistakable that the so-called “the U.S. has no intention of reaching a vast and comprehensive trade agreement” indicates that the U.S. has come to realize we will not make significant concessions to them. The truth is obvious: in the U.S. understanding, a large-scale and comprehensive trade deal essentially means expecting us to make substantial compromises. Why did Tai release this message in advance? There are likely two considerations behind this.
Internally, this is clearly a form of expectation management. U.S. agricultural states are crucial Republican strongholds, and American farmers have long been hoping for a “big deal” that would open up broad export opportunities to China. This statement serves as an early warning to domestic public opinion, preventing excessive expectations that could later undermine Trump’s popularity. Externally, this sends a clear signal of rationality and pragmatism—indicating that the U.S. welcomes talks with us, moving away from demanding unrealistic terms.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875364436976650/
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