China and the US are likely to secure several “very positive” outcomes but not a “grand bargain” at their presidential summit in Beijing in April, according to James Zimmerman, board chief of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. He said discussions are underway about Beijing setting up a fund to encourage Chinese investors to make manufacturing investments in the US, similar to those encouraged from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. China has shown receptiveness to such proposals but would require “protection” in return.
James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based lawyer and board chief of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, spoke at an event at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney. He predicted that the presidential summit in April would yield “very positive” outcomes but no “grand bargain.” Zimmerman noted that pressure from the US midterm elections in November could contribute to Trump’s eagerness for those results.
Zimmerman said: “Apparently there is a discussion about the possibility of Beijing setting up a fund to encourage Chinese investors to make manufacturing investment in the US, and similar to that encouraged of Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.” He added that China had shown receptiveness to such proposals but would require “protection” in return.
“You won’t see a grand bargain worked out at the April meeting, but you may see certain deliverables that are very positive,” Zimmerman said during the talk. The summit is set to take place in Beijing, involving high-level talks between China and the US, though specific agendas were not detailed in the discussion. Keywords mentioned include the East and South China Seas, but they were not emphasized here.
