On February 8, 2019, Ashley Craig was quoted in Bloomberg Law regarding the upcoming round of U.S.-China trade talks that kicks off on February 11 in Beijing.
According to the article, the question is, what to expect from the talks as the clock counts down to March 1, which is the deadline President Trump set for reaching a trade deal and averting more tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump also has said he wants to meet with Chinese President Xi to close a deal, but he’s unlikely to meet with Xi before that date.
"There's pressure on Mnuchin and Lighthizer so the president can come in and do something,” said Craig. Look for China to offer something other than just buying more U.S. goods, "something the U.S. can spin as a win,” Craig said. That could include Beijing's making some commitment to opening up Chinese markets to various U.S. goods and to dealing with intellectual property violations. The U.S. then could say it will forgo additional tariffs on Chinese goods. That way both parties could save face, but it wouldn’t really move the needle much, Craig said.