BIDEN TO INHERIT TOXIC CHINA PROBLEM

In addition to the pandemic and an economic crisis, President-elect Joe Biden will inherit one more headache when he takes office in January: a toxic relationship with the world’s second-largest economy, according to the New York Times

President Trump has placed tariffs on China, imposed sanctions on Chinese companies and restricted its businesses from buying American tech. He recently issued an executive order banning investments in Chinese firms with military ties.

Mr. Biden and his advisers view many of those measures as clumsy and costly. But they still want to maintain leverage over China and occasionally cooperate to accomplish their policy goals, like combating climate change. The Biden administration will very likely face pressure to take a hard line from lawmakers who view China as a threat.

Mr. Biden has given few details about his plans for U.S.-China relations, other than saying he wants to recruit allies such as Europe and Japan to pressure China to make economic reforms.