<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/business/economy/top-china-critic-becomes-its-defender.html?searchResultPosition=2" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class="">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/business/economy/top-china-critic-becomes-its-defender.html?searchResultPosition=2</a></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Top China Critic Becomes Its Defender<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">By Ana Swanson</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">10/06/2020<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">WASHINGTON — For decades, Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States trade representative, was reliably one of Washington’s toughest critics when it came to China and its trade practices.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">But since brokering a trade deal with Beijing in January, he has become one of China’s biggest defenders within the administration, emerging as an obstacle to lawmakers and other top White House officials who want to punish China over its treatment of ethnic Muslims and begin trade talks with Taiwan.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Over the past several months, Mr. Lighthizer has pushed back on several proposed policy measures that rankled Beijing, arguing those efforts could disrupt the U.S.-China trade pact that he and President Trump spent more than two years trying to forge, according to several former government officials and other people familiar with the conversations.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Mr. Lighthizer has also curtailed his public criticisms of China, instead touting Beijing’s efforts to uphold the trade pact and live up to its end of the deal.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Those views have brought Mr. Lighthizer into conflict with more hawkish members of the Trump administration, including State Department officials who have advocated closer ties with Taiwan, along with members of Congress.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">On Thursday, 50 U.S. senators of both parties sent Mr. Lighthizer a letter urging him to begin the formal process of negotiating a trade pact with Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as part of its territory. Such a move would likely anger Beijing, which sees certain partnerships with Taiwan as an affront to China’s sovereignty.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">“We are confident that a U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement would promote security and economic growth for the United States, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific as a whole,”</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/chair/release/risch-inhofe-menendez-colleagues-urge-lighthizer-to-begin-talks-for-a-trade-agreement-with-taiwan" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">they wrote</span></a>. “We urge the administration to prioritize a comprehensive trade agreement with Taiwan, and we look forward to working with you to secure this framework.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" class="">Proponents say dealing directly with Taiwan could help counter some of China’s growing influence in technology and commerce, while also helping to strengthen a democratic ally. But Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said concerns over preserving the trade deal with China were likely to sink the prospects of trade negotiations, at least for the remainder of this administration.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">“The administration, particularly of course U.S.T.R., they’re focused like a laser on this trade deal with China,” she said. “The president doesn’t want it to fall apart.”</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Mr. Lighthizer’s warmer stance toward Beijing comes amid growing tensions between the United States and China. Mr. Trump has said he is “not happy” with China for allowing coronavirus to spread beyond its borders and has ratcheted up punishment on Chinese tech companies, like TikTok and WeChat, saying they pose a threat to national security.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Yet Mr. Trump has not ripped up the trade deal or threatened to take additional trade action against Beijing. In part, that’s because the president faces pressure — from American banks, businesses and farmers — not to let commercial ties with China deteriorate further, especially right before the election.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">American farmers eagerly greeted the signing of the trade deal in January as an end to months of uncertainty in their markets. The deal locked in new access to the Chinese market for American banks and agriculturalists, as well as the promise of record purchases of soybeans, hogs and natural gas.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">But those targets have been widely seen as unrealistic, and so far, China is</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/us-china-phase-one-tracker-chinas-purchases-us-goods" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">on track to purchase just some of the goods</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">it has promised.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Despite the slow pace of purchases, Mr. Lighthizer has defended the deal, telling a House committee in June</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/business/economy/us-trade-china-tariffs.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">that China</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">was giving “every indication” it would uphold the agreement, in spite of coronavirus. Instead, he</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/business/economy/trump-trade-tariffs.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">reserved his harshest criticism</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">for the World Trade Organization, which he called “a mess” in need of “radical reform,” and the European Union, which he threatened with tariffs if it did not agree to a trade deal on America’s terms.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Mr. Lighthizer’s shift in tone is notable, given that he built a reputation as a China critic during</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/09/us/politics/robert-lighthizer-trade.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">a long career</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">in Congress, the executive branch and as a Washington trade lawyer. His history of battling China, including pursuing trade cases against the country and opposing</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/18/opinion/a-deal-wed-be-likely-to-regret.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">its entry into the World Trade Organization</span></a>, was what first ingratiated him to Mr. Trump, who held a similarly dim view of China’s trade practices.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">But Mr. Lighthizer has recently intervened to shoot down several policy measures that could have threatened China economically, including efforts by U.S. Customs and Border Protection</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/business/economy/us-china-forced-labor-imports.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">to impose a sweeping ban</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/business/economy/us-china-xinjiang-cotton-ban.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">on cotton</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">and tomatoes from Xinjiang.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The measure, which was scheduled to be announced the morning of Sept. 8, would have barred many products from Xinjiang over concerns that they were made with forced labor by Uighurs and other Muslim minorities that China has detained in camps in the region. But Mr. Lighthizer joined Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, Sonny Perdue, the Secretary of Agriculture, and Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, in objecting to the measure on the grounds that it could provoke China, threatening American cotton exports and the trade deal, people familiar with the matter said. China is one of the world’s largest cotton importers, purchasing</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republic-china#:~:text=U.S.%20goods%20exports%20to%20China,overall%20U.S.%20exports%20in%202018." target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">nearly $1 billion dollars</span></a>’ worth of American cotton in 2018.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Earlier this summer, as the Trump administration brainstormed ways to</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/politics/trump-hong-kong-china-WHO.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">retaliate against China for its crackdown on Hong Kong</span></a>, Mr. Lighthizer also opposed the idea of placing tariffs — similar to those imposed on China — on Hong Kong.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Some analysts have said that neither measure appeared particularly well thought out. Clete Willems, a former Trump administration trade official who is now a partner at Akin Gump, defended Mr. Lighthizer’s positions, saying the administration “should take strong action on Hong Kong and Xinjiang, but only if those actions have a chance of changing behavior and don’t have unintended consequences.”</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">“On Hong Kong, we simply don’t import enough goods for tariffs to change China’s behavior. On Xinjiang, we need to fully understand the impact on global textile supply chains before moving forward,” Mr. Willems said.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">But Mr. Lighthizer’s reluctance to begin trade talks with Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as part of its territory, has been more controversial. In particular, it has placed him in opposition with officials from the departments of State, Defense and Commerce and the National Security Council who support closer relations with the island to counter China’s influence.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Things came to a head after David R. Stilwell, the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department, gave</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.state.gov/The-United-States-Taiwan-and-the-World-Partners-for-Peace-and-Prosperity/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">a speech at a Washington think tank</span></a>in late August proposing new economic engagement with Taiwan. The State Department also began planning to dispatch its most senior economic official, Keith Krach, to Taiwan in mid-September.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Those proposals prompted a disagreement between Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, and Mr. Lighthizer, who viewed trade talks with Taiwan as being firmly in U.S.T.R.’s domain, three people familiar with the matter said. Another person said that U.S.T.R. and the State Department had clashed over Mr. Krach’s trip.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">In an emailed response, Mr. Lighthizer called the anecdote “a crazy made up story.”</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">“I’ve never spoken with Secretary Pompeo about any of this. And I’ve never had an angry clash with the Secretary about this or anything else in my entire life,” Mr. Lighthizer said.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 1.25rem; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; max-width: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The State Department declined to comment.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">China considers its claim to Taiwan nonnegotiable, and it</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/world/asia/taiwan-arms-china-sanctions.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">has lashed out</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">at</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/world/asia/china-nba-tweet.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">companies</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/10/world/asia/trump-one-china-taiwan.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">politicians</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">that do not support that view, including trying to muscle Taiwan out of multilateral trade deals to economically isolate the island. But Taiwan’s current president, Tsai Ing-wen, has sought to increase the island’s independence by cultivating closer ties with the United States.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 1.25rem; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; max-width: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">In late August, Ms. Tsai eased previous restrictions on imports of U.S. beef and pork, a move aimed at enticing the United States into trade talks. Mr. Pompeo welcomed the move in a tweet, saying that it “opens the door for even deeper economic and trade cooperation..” U.S.T.R. did not issue any statement.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Taiwan is home to fewer than 24 million people, but it was the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top1912yr.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">10th largest U.S. trading partner</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">in 2019, providing a large market for American agricultural products and arms sales.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">American officials have also come to see Taiwan, a major electronics supplier, as</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/business/economy/china-taiwan-huawei-tsmc.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">a bulwark against China’s domination</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">of certain advanced technologies. In May, the Trump administration announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a leading computer chip maker, had pledged to</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.25rem;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/technology/trump-tsmc-us-chip-facility.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">build a factory in Arizona</span></a>, though that project is still awaiting Congressional funding.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Not everyone thinks trade talks with Taiwan would be a certain success. James Green, a senior adviser at McLarty Associates and a former trade official, said the United States spent two decades negotiating with Taiwan over a trade and investment agreement with little result. He said that Mr. Lighthizer might be reluctant to begin such a long and difficult process right before an election, when the administration’s future is uncertain.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Mr. Trump has also appeared circumspect of closer ties with Taiwan. The president, who</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/us/politics/trump-speaks-with-taiwans-leader-a-possible-affront-to-china.html" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">provoked China’s ire</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">shortly after his 2016 election by accepting a congratulatory call from Ms. Tsai, has long made clear to advisers the importance he places on the China trade deal. Mr. Trump repeatedly emphasized Taiwan’s lack of importance by comparing the island to the tip of a Sharpie and China to the resolute desk in the Oval Office,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/john-bolton-the-scandal-of-trumps-china-policy-11592419564" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">John Bolton</span></a>, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, wrote in his book.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">But elsewhere in Washington, support for closer ties with Taiwan is growing.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar traveled to Taiwan in August, the highest ranking U.S. official to visit in decades. On Aug. 31, Mr. Stilwell announced a new economic dialogue that would “explore the full spectrum of our economic relationship — semiconductors, health care, energy and beyond — with technology at the core.”</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The hope was that the effort would build momentum and pressure on U.S.T.R. to advance trade ties, said Ms. Glaser of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The State Department “did what they could in their realm of responsibility,” she said. “But at the end of the day, State cannot negotiate trade agreements, and that’s what Taiwan wants.”</span></p><p class="css-158dogj" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-top: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">In September, Mr. Krach visited the island to discuss technology investments and other economic ties with Taiwanese officials, and dine with Ms. Tsai and T.S.M.C’s retired founder, Morris Chang, people familiar with the trip say. But Mr. Krach did not touch on the issue of trade talks.</span></p><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""> </span></div></div><br class=""><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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