Any trade deal between the United States and China must allow the United States to unilaterally punish Beijing for predatory practices that include theft of intellectual property and technology, barriers to imports and subsidization of exports, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told Congress on Wednesday.
“We have to have the ability to take proportional action, unilaterally, to make sure we have a situation where they [China] are following an agreement,” Lighthizer said. “If we can complete this [negotiating] effort, and again I say if, and if we can reach a satisfactory conclusion to the all-important outstanding issue of enforceability as well as some other concerns, we might be able to have an agreement that helps us turn the corner in our economic relationship with China”.
Lighthizer also told lawmakers that Trump would not seek congressional approval on any deal that is reached with China.
President Donald Trump cited progress in the talks in a decision to delay 1 March deadline on tariff increase on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and proposed a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to conclude an agreement.