Singapore: from Washington and Beijing, planes bearing senior leaders and trade officials are on the way to a negotiation table in Switzerland – but who has the upper hand?
The imbalance in the negotiation power is already clear, analysts said, as officials of the United States and Chinese meet in Switzerland this weekend for their first face to face since the new prices of President Donald Trump took effect.
The meetings, scheduled for Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, will be led by the US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and the Representative of Commerce Jamieson Greer. On the Beijing side, the Deputy Prime Minister, He Lifeng will represent the government.
Despite its own interior economic tension, China enters the talks with firmer requests, a unified message and greater strategic patience, according to observers. The United States, on the other hand, tempered expectations and minimized the prospects for an agreement.
“China has the upper hand because the United States has gripped in hand,” said Wang Dan, Chinese director of Eurasia Group.
“The trigger for (talks) is mainly the national state of the United States. People have anticipated certain difficulties, but no one expected this type of turbulence on the market. ”
Admittedly, China and the United States “feel real economic pain of these too high prices,” said Dexter Tiff Roberts, member of the non-resident senior to the Global China Hub of the Atlantic Council.
The United States is faced with the threat of the shelves of empty stores and higher consumer prices, while China is struggling with a loss of export jobs.
“I think, however, that pain tolerance is higher in China … all the ability to” eat bitterness “,” said Roberts, referring to the Chinese saying “Chi Ku”, which means “eating bitterness” or supporting tests.
