U.S. divisions muddle trade talks
• Hours after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the U.S. was putting its trade war with China “on hold,” the U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, warned Beijing that the Trump administration might still impose tariffs.
That type of mixed message has weakened the U.S. position, several people involved in the talks said, even though President Trump promoted the negotiations as a success on Monday, saying that China would buy more American agricultural goods.
While the Trump administration has shifted from threats to conciliation, Beijing has stuck to a single strategy: Rebuff the offers and avoid specific pledges.
• After rereading Mr. Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal,” our business columnist writes that the president’s negotiating playbook is on display: “Start with a headline-grabbing demand, beat chest loudly, then accept whatever is actually practical and call it a win.”