Donald Trump on the southern lawn of the White House in 2020.
Photographer: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Photographer: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
The Biden government has ex-President Donald Trump’s so-called phase one trade deal with China “under review”, along with the rest of the US stance toward Beijing, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki, on Friday.
“Everything the previous government has implemented is under review,” said Psaki in response to questions about whether President Joe Biden considers the Trump deal still in place.
The trade agreement that Trump signed a year ago was one of his proudest achievements until the new coronavirus spread from China to the U.S. After that, then-presidential candidate Biden was able to launch the deal as a sign that Trump was too focused on his own political achievements, even when the world was on the verge of a deadly pandemic.
Under the agreement, Beijing agreed to increase purchases of American agricultural goods and other products in exchange for easing American tariffs. Psaki did not answer the question of whether the United States still expects China to fulfill its commitments under the agreement.
“We are focused on approaching this relationship from a position of strength and that means coordinating and communicating with our allies and partners on how we are going to work with China,” she said. “It means strengthening our domestic economy and determining the best way forward to address a range of issues, not only economic, but strategic and also security.”
Asked again if the deal was still in place, she added: “I don’t assume things are moving forward.” The government is “coordinating with our allies, members of Congress, and making a decision before we get more involved.”
Biden is not known for speaking to Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office earlier this month.