Secretary of State Nominee Has Said US, EU Need to End Trade War

Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's choice for secretary of state, has said that the Section 301 tariffs on China and Section 232 tariffs on Europe “harm our own people,” according to coverage of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce talk he gave in September. “We would use tariffs when they’re needed, but backed by a strategy and a plan,” he added. Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama, said, “The EU is the largest market in the world. We need to improve our economic relations, and we need to bring to an end an artificial trade war that the Trump administration has started,” Reuters reported from the Chamber talk.

In a 2019 opinion article, Blinken wrote that trade is not a zero-sum game, and was critical of both President Donald Trump's approach and of progressive critiques of free trade. “The reality is more complex. It’s true that global trade, along with rapid technological change, is profoundly disruptive. Managed improperly, it can increase the gap between rich and poor, and fuel fears that today’s jobs will be lost tomorrow,” he wrote.

On China, he said that a Biden administration would fully enforce the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by imposing sanctions on companies, banks and individuals. But in his Chamber talk, Blinken also questioned the decoupling narrative, Reuters reported. “Trying to fully decouple, as some have suggested, from China ... is unrealistic and ultimately counter-productive,” Blinken said. “It would be a mistake.”

The Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry declined to comment on the choice of Blinken. “We don't comment on U.S. internal affairs,” a ministry spokesperson said during a regular press briefing Nov. 23, according to a transcript. “Maintaining sound and stable development of China-U.S. relations serves the fundamental interests of people in both countries,” he said. “China is ready to strengthen communication with the United States, expand cooperation, manage differences, and work for sound and stable development of China-U.S. ties.”