Radio silence from Beijing

Radio silence from Beijing

China kept an awkward silence as it digested the reported offer by the U.S. to roll back some tariffs and cancel those due to come into force at the weekend, in return for guaranteed annual purchases of U.S. farm goods.

“Chinese authorities and official media so far haven’t given any information on China and the U.S. are close to a deal,” Hu Xijin, editor of the English-language Chinese publication Global Times, said via Twitter. “As the U.S. side released optimistic information through various channels, the Chinese side has basically kept silent. This is a delicate situation.”

Analysts argue that the offer by the White House may be perceived as a trap, saying that Beijing will resist being drawn into an agreement where its compliance can be easily and reliably measured.