Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Editor's Note:



Since the China-US phase one trade deal had been signed in January, China's commitment has been largely benefiting American businesses, despite spiraling tensions and the severe impact of COVID-19. Chinese trade experts noted that it's time for the US to make efforts to maintain the hard-won agreement which is expected to benefit its post-pandemic recovery.

Wei Jianguo, a former Chinese vice minister of commerce

A review of China-US trade data in past months shows that China is carrying out the China-US phase one trade deal as effectively as possible despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

China's commitment and sincerity have been demonstrated by the consistency of its language and its concrete actions. China will continue to increase imports from the US, thereby benefiting American businesses despite spiraling tensions.

However, China's efforts to maintain economic and trade ties have come up against continued pushback from the US. Washington should recognize that in order to maintain the phase one trade deal, it is crucial for both sides to meet each other halfway.

At such a critical moment in bilateral relations, the US should recognize that it has a responsibility to look forwards, and that its current decoupling approach will not work out. Maintaining stable trade and economic exchanges with China will help the US economy cushion the impact of the pandemic and achieve a recovery sooner rather than later.

More importantly, as the world's two largest economies, stable economic and trade exchanges between China and the US are of great significance for the global economy and global markets as a whole. This has been proven by the ups and downs in stock markets' performance during the trade war.

The relentless pressure from the US has brought China-US relations to their lowest point for decades. It's time for the US to step back from brink; stop treating China like an imaginary enemy; stop suppressing and discrediting Chinese technology companies; and stop destroying the market environment.

Huo Jianguo, former president of the research institute of China's Ministry of Commerce



As the US' continuous provocation of China in various areas drags the bilateral relationship down to its lowest point in decades, China's commitment to honoring the hard-won agreement has made trade one of the most stable elements of the two countries' relationship.

At this very critical moment in bilateral relations, it's necessary to caution the US that it should actively cooperate with China to continue implementing the deal well, rather than using it as a tool to beat China with. If anything needs to be reassessed now, it would be the US' misjudgment of the situation.

As the US election approaches, the Trump administration has clearly fallen into a worrying pattern, trying to court voters by continuously increasing its suppression of China. In fact, the US public's main concern is the US' economic performance and pandemic control. If the Trump administration disappoints voters in these two areas - even if it goes all out to suppress China - it may be counterproductive. From this perspective, using trade agreements to pressure China won't win the election.

Recently, the US has deliberately made the implementation of the agreement more difficult. US' recent moves to pressure China have undermined the atmosphere of cooperation.

If the US wants China to expand imports, it should at least make efforts to create more stable economic ties, and should not continue to pick new fights. To begin with, the US should cease using tariffs as threats, let alone add pressure on issues related to China's core interests such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

The US should stop cracking down on Chinese businesses by violating market rules and laws.

The Trump Administration's intensifying suppression of Chinese businesses such as Huawei, TikTok and WeChat violates laws and market rules. It is quite simply double standard bullying. China needs to take corresponding countermeasures. In addition, the US should immediately stop these violations of the market and legal systems.

The US should show a sincerity in its attempts to cooperate with China in order to mend economic ties and create a good atmosphere for economic teams from both sides to keep in contact with each other at various levels, and to implement the trade agreement.

Thus far, China has made good progress in purchasing American products after the trade deal was reached in January - from agricultural products to crude oil - despite the COVID-19 pandemic's hinderance of the normal flow of trade.