On "Forbes Newsroom," author and U.S.-China relations expert Gordon Chang discussed what he is looking out for as Presidents Xi and Trump continue to push for a trade deal.
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00:00Last week, Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary, predicted that he sees the United States ending up in a perfectly reasonable spot with China.
00:08President Trump before says that he thinks we are going to have a deal with China, but we don't have a deal with China just yet.
00:14So what are you looking out for next?
00:18I'm looking to see. Well, by the way, as an initial matter, those comments are what you have to say if you're the Commerce Secretary or you're the president of the United States.
00:26I don't think you can talk realistically about the situation.
00:30What I'm looking for is whether the United States can come to terms with our traditional trading partners.
00:37Remember, the Japanese chief trade negotiator was in the Oval Office.
00:41They said they had a good meeting, but we've been hearing comments from Tokyo since then about how they can't figure out what the Trump administration really wants.
00:50So that's perhaps if the Japanese are telling the truth.
00:54And that's a big if. But if they're telling the truth, what it says is that there is a lack of discipline in the trade negotiating side in the Trump administration.
01:03So I'm looking for a trade deal.
01:05And we have the vice president in New Delhi.
01:08He announced that the United States and India had agreed to the broad outlines of trade negotiations.
01:15That's a very good sign. But I'd like to see one of these deals actually stitched up.
01:21And then I think once that happens, we're going to see that being used as a template for other trade deals.
01:27And if that happens, then China is really on the outside and then has to come to the table quickly.
01:33Because as Trump officials have said, and I think they're absolutely right, those countries that negotiate the first deals are going to get the best arrangements and everybody else who waits is going to suffer.
01:45And I think that makes a lot of sense.
01:48Well, there's certainly a lot to look out for.
01:51And as the situation continues to develop, Gordon Chang, I hope you come back on and join me and break it down.
01:57Thank you so much for coming on.
01:59Well, thank you so much, Brittany. I really appreciate it.