'We can't just trust': The thinking behind Trump's get-tough approach to Chinahttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-strategy-analysis/we-cant-just-trust-the-thinking-behind-trumps-get-tough-approach-to-china-idUSKCN1HD2KCQuote
“We can’t just trust. We need to verify and we need to make sure that if we do get into a negotiation situation where China is making commitments, they have to be commitments that we know that they’re going to follow through on,” an administration official told Reuters on Thursday.
“We can’t simply just take, ‘Don’t worry we’ll stop,’ as an acceptable outcome any more,” said the official, who could not be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Finally.
I've always felt that unless the underlying philosophies of two or more countries, in any kind of negotiation, were the same, then believing a country is doing what it promises, is a fool's game.
It's nice to see someone at or near the helm, finally realizes this.
The WTO for example, is a good idea. But without the power (of some kind) to back up their rules and declarations, then countries w/o similar philosophies, can just wave off anything the WTO says.
China for one, doesn't want to win while letting everyone else win as well. They want to win everything, period.
If countries like the US don't keep things like this in mind when negotiating with China, then we will lose out, big time.