Feb 19, 2020 - World

How a Beijing think tank rated senior White House advisers' views on China

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

President Trump flanked by Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, New York City, Aug. 15, 2017. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In a report dated June 29, 2019, Beijing-based D&C Think examined the views of President Trump's top advisers on China.

Why it matters: The report's findings, while subjective, provide a glimpse into the increased emphasis that many in Beijing are placing on reading the tea leaves of the White House.

The think tank's researchers put forward the following conclusions:

  • A hardline attitude is not universal among top White House officials.
  • Three Cabinet positions in particular tend to have officials who hold friendlier views, in the report's estimation — the treasury, agriculture and transportation secretaries (currently held by Steve Mnuchin, Sonny Perdue and Elaine Chao, respectively).
  • The trade war is primarily being pushed by officials in charge of strategy and national security, rather than those who are responsible for trade.

Go deeper: How a Chinese think tank rates all 50 U.S. governors

Go deeper

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

How a Chinese think tank rates all 50 U.S. governors

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

A Chinese think tank has rated U.S. governors and White House advisors on how "friendly" they are to Beijing in a series of reports analyzed by Axios.

Why it matters: Washington's sharp turn toward hardline policies on China means there's a strong push in Beijing to find alternate channels of engagement, especially via U.S. local government leaders.

Go deeperArrowFeb 19, 2020 - World
Axios

Podcast: A Beijing think tank ranks U.S. governors

Beijing-based think tank D&C generated a series of reports rating state governors and White House officials on how "friendly" they are toward China. Pro Rata producer Naomi Shavin is joined by Axios China reporter Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, who obtained and analyzed the reports.

Go deeper: How a Chinese think tank rates all 50 U.S. governors

Keep ReadingArrowFeb 19, 2020 - Economy & Business
Dion Rabouin

The trade war could weaken U.S. coronavirus response

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams looks on as President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing with the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

As the Trump administration mulls its plan to battle the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. economy, scant attention has been given to a major source of potential stimulus: reining in its tariffs on China.

Why it matters: U.S. tariffs increase costs for American companies that import Chinese goods, and with fewer customers making purchases as the COVID-19 outbreak slows demand, the trade war "is going to be a bigger drag on the economy," Chad P. Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), tells Axios.chevron.

Go deeperArrowMar 11, 2020 - Economy & Business