Donald Trump on the southern lawn of the White House in 2020.
Photographer: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Photographer: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
The Biden administration has former President Donald Trump’s so-called trade deal with China “under review,” along with the rest of the US position on Beijing, White House Secretary of State Jen Psaki said on Friday.
“Everything the past administration has implemented is under review,” Psaki said in response to questions about whether President Joe Biden believes Trump’s agreement is still in place.
The trade deal signed by Trump a year ago was one of his proudest achievements until the new coronavirus spread from China to the United States. After that, the then presidential candidate, Biden, managed to launch the agreement as a sign that Trump was too focused on his own political achievements, even if the world was on the brink of a deadly pandemic.
Under the agreement, Beijing agreed to step up purchases of US agricultural and other products in exchange for relief from US tariffs. Psaki did not answer a question about whether the US is still waiting for China to meet its commitments under the agreement.
“We are focusing on approaching this relationship from a position of strength, and that means coordinating and communicating with our allies and partners about how we will work with China,” she said. “It means strengthening our home economy and determining the best way forward to address a range of issues, not just economic, but strategic and also security.
Asked again if the agreement was still in force, she added: “I would not assume that things are moving forward.” The administration “coordinates with our allies, members of Congress, and makes a decision before we move on.”
It is not known that Biden has spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office earlier this month.