Cooperation, friction predicted for China-US trade

An all-out trade war between China and the United States during this phase of Donald Trump’s presidency is unlikely to erupt, but friction may be possible, according to the second issue of the Global Report of Tsinghua released by the Institute of Global Development at Tsinghua University on Feb. 27. The report suggests China should be fully prepared for disputes over trade deficits and the RMB exchange rate. Zhou Shijian, author of the report and a senior research fellow from the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University, said the US trade deficit was the inevitable result of economic globalization and the adjustment of industrial structure as well as the international division of labor. Meanwhile, the RMB has been included into the Special Drawing Rights basket of the International Monetary Fund, and it would be unreasonable to treat China as a currency manipulator, he said.