U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said on Monday that China was pursuing a “blame game” in recent public statements and a weekend white paper that misrepresented the trade negotiations between the world’s two largest economies.
In a joint statement, the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office and the U.S. Treasury reiterated their view that China’s negotiators had “backpedaled” on important elements of a deal that had been largely agreed, including on an enforcement provision.
“Our insistence on detailed and enforceable commitments from the Chinese in no way constitutes a threat to Chinese sovereignty,” USTR and the Treasury said. “Rather, the issues discussed are common to trade agreements and are necessary to address the systemic issues that have contributed to persistent and unsustainable trade deficits.”
