But that consensus quickly evaporated, as Mr. Trump was criticized for being soft on China and the White House ramped up its tariff threats. China has expressed frustration that the United States has not established a clear point person in the negotiations, which have been led by an alternating group of officials including Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary; Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States trade representative; Mr. Ross; and others. This week, the Treasury Department designated David Malpass, the under secretary for international affairs, to lead the discussions. At a campaign rally in West Virginia on Tuesday, Mr. Trump lauded his success in slowing China’s rise. “When I came, we were heading in a certain direction that was going to allow China to be bigger than us in a very short period of time,” Mr. Trump said.

Source: New York Times August 23, 2018 23:22 UTC