CYIL vol. 13 (2022)

CYIL 13 ȍ2022Ȏ THE ATTITUDE OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TOWARD INTERNATIONAL LAW a major foreign policy priority, except to criticize China when U.S. warships were harassed. Trump was critical of China’s trade policy and escalated a mini-trade war with Beijing. Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese imports to force China to make trade concessions. The tariffs certainly affected China’s economy negatively but had a greater impact on certain sectors of the U.S. economy such as agriculture. 132 The U.S. and China engaged in several trade rounds to resolve their dispute, and the two sides eventually signed an interim agreement before Trump departed from office. The Economic and Trade Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People’s Republic of China requires China to purchase more U.S. agricultural products and to open its market for greater competition. 133 The status of that agreement remains in doubt. The Biden administration has pressured China to comply with its obligations under that agreement, but China wants some of the Trump tariffs to be lifted first. China used the history of unfair trade negotiations with Western powers to double down on its negotiations withTrump. 134 However, that strategy did not work. Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports have had an asymmetrically adverse effect on the U.S. economy. The continuing integration of China’s economy into the world economy should be the primary goal of the Biden administration, as that will reduce the chances of conflict and supply chain disruptions. China’s experience with the Trump tariffs is likely to push China into further decoupling of its economy from that of the United States. Trump’s disdain for international law and multilateralism made it easier for the Chinese regime to disregard some international conventions that did not advance their current international agenda. China has continued to place a strong emphasis on the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention, but this is a strategy intended to shield its domestic policies from international scrutiny. China continues to call for patience in dealing with North Korea and opposes dire sanctions that could lead to a collapse of the communist regime in North Korea. China has voted in favor of some of the Security Council resolutions that imposed sanctions on North Korea, and it has complied with previous Security Council sanctions regimes against North Korea. But it is also concerned the sanctions may further isolate the regime and make a diplomatic solution unattainable. China does not want another war on the Korean Peninsula for fear it may lead to a flood of refugees on its territory. 135 China also does not want a stronger U.S. military presence in the region. China has not publicly opposed the reunification of North and South Korea, but it has not spoken out in favor of unification either. China does not want South Korea to become a powerful economic competitor. The North Korean nuclear issue gives China leverage over the United States. For China, a nuclear-armed North Korea is in its national security interest, hence China would not push for dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program for the benefit of the United States. While Donald Trump was focused on his “America First” policy, China was building alliances with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, Africa, and Central Asia. China has concluded bilateral trade agreements with several countries in the Asia-Pacific region and signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with 15 Pacific nations intended to promote regional economic integration. The agreement was in 132 PLENDER, J. Beijing Bashing has Hurt the US More Than China, Fin. Times , (Nov. 3, 2020), p. 11. 133 @ https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/agreements/phas%20one%20agreement/. 134 RAPPEPORT, A. 19 th -Century ‘ Humiliation’ Haunts China-U.S. Trade Talks , at www.https://nytims.com/2019/ 03/27/us/politics/china-opium-wars-trade-talks.html. 135 ALBERT, E. The China-North Korea Relations, at https://cfr.org/backgrounder/china-north-korea-relationship.

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