Trump's ZTE Reversal May Signal Shift in China Trade Talks
*By Alisha Haridasani*
President Trump's reversal on how to deal with the Chinese electronics maker ZTE could signal a shift in trade talks before American and Chinese officials were to meet Tuesday for a second round of negotiations.
China [reportedly](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/business/china-trump-zte.html) welcomed Trump’s decision to try to help ZTE "get back into business, fast," weeks after the U.S. slapped the electronics company with crippling sanctions. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday the government is “maintaining close communication with the U.S. on the implementation of specific details.”
"If both countries are working together, there's less of a probability that this could evolve into some sort of a trade war," said Anthony Chan, chief economist at Chase.
Trump [tweeted](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/995680316458262533) on Sunday that he and President Xi Jinping of China were working together, and Trump instructed the Commerce Department to help ZTE. "Too many jobs in China lost," he said on Twitter. "Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!"
Last month, the U.S. blocked American companies from doing business with ZTE because the electronics company allegedly violated sanctions against Iran and North Korea. ZTE, which makes mobile phones, relies heavily on components created by American companies in its products. The crackdown forced the company to shut down most of its operations last week.
Following Trump’s tweet, the White House issued an official statement saying Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will, “exercise his independent judgement, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, to resolve the regulatory action involving ZTE.”
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-vows-to-save-zte-jobs).
It's a tough time for the job market. Amid wider economic uncertainty, some analysts have said that businesses are at a “no-hire, no fire” standstill. At the same time, some sizeable layoffs have continued to pile up — raising worker anxieties across sectors. Some companies have pointed to rising operational costs due to U.S.'s new tariffs, while others have redirected money to artificial intelligence investments. Workers in the public sector have also been hit hard. Federal jobs were cut by the thousands earlier this year. And many workers are now going without pay as the U.S. government shutdown has now dragged on for more than a month.
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