As the U.S.-China trade war heats up, President Trump has said he’s prepared to impose tariffs on another $267 billion in Chinese goods, and China has said it will respond in kind.
Joining CGTN America’s The Heat, IPI’s Dr. Merrill Matthews said the threat of additional tariffs is a “huge gamble” and not even the important issue.
“The bigger issue for President Trump is tech transfer and the IP theft in China,” said Matthews.
“It’s widely believed in the U.S. that the Chinese government is simply not putting enough pressure on tech transfer and IP theft it should be,” he said.
Noting the significant economic risks for additional tariffs, Matthews suggested China and U.S. consider a different course.
“Trump says he wants China to lower its tariffs. If I were talking to President Xi, I’d say: 'Call his bluff.' Trump has said to the G7: I want to go to zero tariffs and trade barriers… I’d suggest President Xi ask for the same deal. If you were to do that, you’d either call his bluff or you’d get us on the right path.”
Watch the full interview here.