China's government has been seeking advice from its think-tanks and policy advisers on how to counter potential trade penalties from U.S. President Donald Trump, getting ready for the worst, even as they hope for business-like negotiations.
The policy advisers believe the Trump administration is most likely to impose higher tariffs on targeted sectors where China has a big surplus with the United States, such as steel and furniture, or on state-owned firms.
The article does not specifically mention which think tanks China is consulting, but there are 435 think tanks within the country to choose from.
In related Chinese think tank news, the New York Times is reporting that in a rare move, a Chinese think tank is criticizing China's tepid pace of reform. Here is more on the origin of that report:
The new report, a 217-page study titled “The Reform Obstruction Phenomenon,” was written by researchers from the Economic System and Management Institute of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, which steers policy on industry, energy and many other sectors. The head of the commission, He Lifeng, and his deputy, Liu He, both have ties to Mr. Xi. But nothing in the report suggests that it had their blessing. The authors declined to be interviewed.
And in one more piece of China/think tank news, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), housed within the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is now saying that China is able to deploy warplanes on its artificial islands at any time.