Quoting the New York Times, W.H. Lo of Bastillepost.com, an online Chinese newspaper in Hong Kong, outlines in an article of 24 May, 2019 the following Eight Demands of the Unites States in trade talks with China:
(a) China to reduce $100 billion trade deficit with the US within one year, and another $100 billion the following year;
(b) Stop subsidising the advanced technologies outlined in "Made in China 2025";
(c) Accept US restrictions against "Made in China 2025" potential imports;
(d) Implement direct and verifiable anti-cyberespionage measures against intrusions into US commercial assets;
(e) Reinforce Intellectual Property protection;
(f) Accept US restrictions on investments in "sensitive" technologies and waive any right for retaliatory measures;
(g) Lower average Chinese tariffs of 10% to 3.5% in line with US average tariffs;
(h) Open up the services and agriculture sectors.
Part of US tariffs are to remain subject to quarterly joint assessments of implementation.
As the article rightly points out, these demands are primarily geared to retarding China's technological advances, with particular reference to "Made in China 2025". The latter is a flagship strategy underpinning the China Dream of becoming a strong world power. These demands coincide with a pletora of US measures in recent weeks targeting Huawei, China's tech giant, other Chinese tech firms, admissions of Chinese students to US elite universities, and even exchanges in academic research.
As US anti-China coercion mounts across the board, it is not surprising why President Xi balked at signing off something reminiscent of China's past "unequal treaties" during the nation's "Century of Humiliation". It's also instructive that President Xi calls for a New Long March to prepare for a protracted war on all fronts in a fraught trajectory towards realizing the China Dream.
Further reading and references
For more on the trade war, please visit Why the US-China trade war broke down and what's behind it all? and Op-ed in the South China Morning Post.
The Economist (Printed Edition 18 May, 2019) runs a Special Report "China v America: A New Kind of Cold War offering further details and perspectives on this epochal confrontation.
Its subsequent edition (25 May) features a leader Big tech and the trade war highlighting the threat to investors, consumers and American interests. However, it doesn't focus on how the war over 5G may pan out. For this, you may wish to read the collection of references in How the US chooses to lose the race on 5G and the South China Morning Post article of 26 May on the US iron curtain against China's tech advances.
