Washington criticizes Trump's hinting at dropping Huawei charges

U.S. President Donald Trump’s comment on Huawei during his meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Friday is sending shock waves through the political circle. Although President Trump drew the line by saying they are not discussing the matter at the moment but voices of criticism that the trade deal and Huawei charges should not be dealt with together are being heard within the U.S.

The U.S.-China trade deal is facing a rocky road ahead as the Democratic Party does not want to give President Trump credit for striking his trade deal with China and the Republican Party is pushing for more concessions from China.

In an editorial titled, “Trump and Huawei” on Sunday, The Wall Street Journal bluntly wrote, “U.S. Attorneys aren’t trade negotiators,” adding that dropping charges against Huawei as part of the trade deal would damage the rule of law. The article was skeptical about Trump's trade war with China and protectionism but strongly argued that the Trump administration should stick to the principles when it comes to pressing charges against Huawei.

There are concerns within the Republican Party as well. After President Trump’s comment, Senator Tom Cotton (Republican of Arkansas) wrote in his Twitter account that Huawei is a “serious national security threat” and a “Trojan Horse” for the Chinese Communist Party. “Some Republicans fear that Mr. Trump may settle for a deal that simply reduces the trade deficit between the two countries and potentially offers relief to a Chinese telecommunication giant, Huawei, which is facing criminal charges in the United States,” The New York Times reported.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.23 percent on the same day, after President Trump said that he would delay a tariff hike on Chinese imports. But the atmosphere is quite different in the political circle. As both governments did not provide any details on the “substantial progress” that had been made, critics are expressing their doubts, speculating that the two countries are just “repacking old promises.”


Yong Park parky@donga.com