U.S. Trade Chief: U.S. Not "Decoupling" From China

Washington is not seeking to decouple the American economy from China’s, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said, Mari Yamaguchi reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Chinese officials have often lashed out at the US over trade sanctions and other restrictions on sharing of advanced technology with China.

Tai, who is on her fourth visit to Japan after being appointed the top US trade envoy, said all members of President Joe Biden’s administration have been “very clear that it is not the intention to decouple” China’s economy.

US trade sanctions against China are “narrowly targeted,” she said. Given its huge size and importance, unraveling the ties with China that keep the world economy running is “not a goal or achievable,” Tai said in a news conference at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan.

Chinese officials have often lashed out at the US over trade sanctions and other restrictions on sharing of advanced technology with China, accusing Washington of trying to “contain” China and hinder its path toward greater affluence.

Tai said that regular trade work between the U.S. and China was continuing and she was “completely open to engaging with my counterparts in Beijing,” though she has no immediate plans to visit China.

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