ASIA / PACIFIC
Page 4 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
June 18, 2018
China hikes tariffs on U.S.
soybeans, electric cars, fish
By Joe McDonald
The Associated Press
EIJING — China has fired back in a spiralling
trade dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump
by raising import duties on a $34 billion list of
American goods, including soybeans, electric cars, and
whiskey.
The government said it was responding in “equal scale”
to Trump’s tariff hike on Chinese goods in a conflict over
Beijing’s trade surplus and technology policy that
companies worry could quickly escalate and chill global
economic growth.
China “doesn’t want a trade war,” but has to “fight back
strongly,” said a Commerce Ministry statement. It said
Beijing also was scrapping agreements to narrow its
multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States
by purchasing more American farm goods, natural gas,
and other products.
The United States and China have the world’s biggest
trading relationship, but official ties are increasingly
strained over complaints that Beijing’s industry
development tactics violate its free-trade pledges and
hurt American companies. Europe, Japan, and other
trading partners raise similar complaints, but Trump has
been unusually direct about challenging Beijing and
threatening to disrupt such a large volume of exports.
“In this trade war, it’s the U.S. who is playing the role of
provocateur, while China plays defense,” said the Global
Times, a newspaper published by the ruling Communist
Party. “China is a powerful guardian and has enough
ammunition to defend existing trade rules and fairness.”
Beijing will impose an additional 25 percent tariff
starting July 6 on 545 products from the United States,
including soybeans, electric cars, orange juice, whiskey,
lobster, salmon, and cigars, according to the Ministry of
Finance.
Most are food and other farm goods, hitting Trump’s
rural supporters hardest.
Beijing appeared to be trying to minimize the impact on
its own economy by picking U.S. products that can be
replaced by imports from other suppliers such as Brazil or
Australia.
Chinese regulators also are considering a tariff hike on
an additional 114 products, including medical equipment
and energy products, the Finance Ministry said. It said a
decision would be announced later.
That
mirrored
the
Trump
administration’s
announcement of a tariff hike on $34 billion of Chinese
goods, also due to take effect July 6, and plans to consider
widening it to an additional $16 billion of other products.
China’s heavily regulated economy also gives the ruling
Communist Party additional options for retaliation by
withholding approval for business activity.
Anti-monopoly regulators are believed to have delayed
announcing a decision on U.S. tech giant Qualcomm’s
proposed acquisition of semiconductor maker NXP in part
due to the tariff conflict. Other companies say the
approval process for licenses has slowed down.
“China’s retaliation will remain calibrated and largely
reciprocal, with President Xi Jinping ready to counter any
move by Trump,” said Eurasia Group in a report. “Beijing
has a freer hand for informal retaliation, which will now
start to increase.”
The American Chamber of Commerce had appealed to
Washington to avoid a tariff hike, but said Trump’s threat
B
PHILIPPINE PROTEST. Protesters shout slogans while being
pushed away from a venue after heckling Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte at the 120th Philippine Independence Day celebration at the
Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine at Kawit, Cavite province, south of Manila, the
Philippines. Duterte’s speech was marred by protesters who heckled him
with shouts of “traitor!” and “Oust Duterte!” (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Protesters heckle, disrupt Duterte’s
Independence day speech
KAWIT, The Philippines (AP) — Several left-wing
activists heckled and disrupted a televised Independence
Day speech by the Philippine president and called him a
“traitor” amid criticism of his handling of territorial
disputes with China.
President Rodrigo Duterte halted his speech during the
commotion and calmly watched from a historic balcony in
Kawit town south of Manila as police pulled the protesters
away. He asked law enforcers to deal with the protesters
“with maximum tolerance” as the audience, which
included ambassadors, waited.
He later resumed his speech, which focused on his
battle against illegal drugs and corruption.
Duterte has come under fire from critics who say he has
been far too soft on China over contested South China Sea
territories. Officials say his approach has fostered talks
and won concessions.
The Asian Reporter is published on
the first & third Monday each month.
News page advertising deadlines
for our next two issues are:
July 2 to 15 edition:
Space reservations due:
Wednesday, June 27 at 1:00pm
Artwork due: Thursday, June 28 at 1:00pm
July 16 to August 5 edition:
Space reservations due:
Wednesday, July 11 at 1:00pm
Artwork due: Thursday, July 12 at 1:00pm
For more information, please call (503) 283-4440.
8 5
2
6
3 4
9
5 8
7
Difficulty
HARD
1 4
7
5
1
2 5
3
1 9
7
4
9 7
2
8
6 1
level: Hard
#85142
# 33
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that the digits 1
through 9 appear one time each in every row, col-
umn, and 3x3 box.
Solution to
last issue’s
puzzle
Puzzle #63758 (Medium)
All solutions available at
<www.sudoku.com>.
6
5
7
3
8
9
1
4
2
3
8
4
6
2
1
7
9
5
1
9
2
5
7
4
6
3
8
7
3
8
2
6
5
4
1
9
2
1
6
4
9
8
3
5
7
9
4
5
7
1
3
2
8
6
4
7
1
8
5
2
9
6
3
5
6
9
1
3
7
8
2
4
8
2
3
9
4
6
5
7
1
TIT FOR TAT. A visitor walks by the booths of U.S. soybean compa-
nies at the international soybean exhibition in Shanghai, China, in this
April 12, 2018 file photo. China has fired back in a spiralling trade dispute
with U.S. President Donald Trump by raising import duties on a $34 bil-
lion list of American goods, including soybeans, electric cars, and whis-
key. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
has prompted Beijing to engage in more intensive
negotiations than it had in recent years.
Companies also are watching the fate of ZTE Corp., a
Chinese maker of telecoms gear that ran afoul of U.S.
regulators after it violated restrictions on exports of
American technology to Iran and North Korea.
Washington rescinded a ban on sales of U.S. technology
to ZTE after the company agreed to pay a $1 billion fine
and hire American-picked compliance managers. The
agreement allows Washington to impose an additional
$400 million fine or other penalties if ZTE violates the
deal.
Trump is pressing Beijing to narrow its trade surplus
with the United States and roll back its plans for state-led
development of Chinese global competitors in technology
fields including electric cars, renewable energy, artificial
intelligence, and biotech.
The U.S., Europe, Japan, and other trading partners
complain Beijing’s tactics include outright theft of foreign
technology and subsidies and protection from competition
for fledgling Chinese industries. They say those violate
Chinese market-opening commitments under the World
Trade Organization.
Tensions eased temporarily after Chinese negotiators
agreed at talks in Washington in May to buy more
American farm goods, natural gas, and other products.
American officials said they would suspend threatened
tariff increases on up to $150 billion of Chinese goods.
The dispute revived after the White House renewed its
plan for a tariff hike on $50 billion of Chinese goods as part
of the technology dispute. The Chinese government
warned after another round of talks June 3 that it would
discard those deals if the tariffs went ahead.
Businesspeople and economists say Chinese leaders are
less likely to compromise on technology. They view plans
for state-led development of companies capable of
competing globally in fields including electric cars,
renewable energy, and biotech as a route to prosperity and
to restore China to its rightful role as a world leader.
“There isn’t one country who would give up their rights
to advance technology and make industrial upgrades,”
said the Global Times editorial.
Beijing also has announced plans to cut import duties
on autos and some consumer goods and to ease limits on
foreign ownership in auto manufacturing, insurance, and
some other industries, though those don’t directly address
U.S. complaints.
A Commerce Ministry spokesman also mentioned that
some exporters are rushing to fill orders because of
concerns the trade conditions might change, but said they
are “not the mainstream.”
Think you’re
an organ and
tissue donor?
Not if you haven’t
told your family.
Department of Consumer & Business Services
Talk to your family about
organ and tissue donation.
Talk to your family
about donating life.
In Oregon, all employers must have workers’ compensation insurance or be self-insured.
The Workers’ Compensation Division enforces laws and regulations and provides services
and resources to assist those in the workers’ compensation system. Workers’ compensation
insurance protects workers by paying for treatment and lost wages. It also protects
employers against legal claims that may result from injury or related illness at work.
For a free donor card
brochure, contact:
Donate Life Northwest
(503) 494-7888
1-800-452-1369
www.donatelifenw.org
Workers’ Compensation Division:
What we do
Workers’ compensation services include :
• Resolving disputes fairly and quickly. • Prevention and reduction of injuries and illnesses at work.
• Ensuring injured workers receive medical treatment and appropriate
benefits to recover and return to work more quickly.
If you are injured at work or for more information, call the
Workers’ Compensation Division at 1-800-452-0288 or 503-947-7810.
www.wcd.oregon.gov