Politico: Trump has closed all diplomatic channels with China!
As the trade war between Washington and Beijing escalates, US President Donald Trump has blocked almost all diplomatic channels with the country in an attempt to establish direct contact with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Politico reported.
The tit-for-tat tariffs imposed by the US and China against each other are part of a broader tariff war that Trump has launched against more than 90 countries around the world, claiming to address unfair trade imbalances. While Trump has suspended the tariffs for most countries for 90 days, Beijing has been exempted from this rule and has faced a 145% tariff.
In retaliation, China has imposed a 125% tariff on US imports and restricted some key exports.
Politico, citing former officials from the US Department of State and Industry, wrote that the president of this country is determined to have direct talks with Xi Jinping and has blocked all diplomatic channels to achieve this goal!
According to the newspaper, Trump has not allowed White House delegations and envoys to negotiate and interact with Beijing. The US Senate has also not appointed and confirmed an ambassador to China, and Trump has not nominated any official to lead possible diplomatic talks with Beijing. Moreover, Washington has not yet contacted the Chinese embassy!
Ryan Hess, former director of the China, Taiwan, and Mongolia Office at the National Security Council during the presidency of former US President Barack Obama, said in an interview with Politico: “Indirect communication channels have broken down because Trump wants it. Trump wants to deal directly with Xi, just as he does with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
CNN reported earlier this month, citing unnamed officials, that Washington was awaiting a call from Beijing.