Exclusive | US-China trade war fallout among crucial factors that will ripple into next decade, analysts say
- Governments’ directions – whether the US tilts toward isolationism or internationalism, and if China remains authoritarian or liberalises – are seen as key
- The protest crisis was also discussed, with a panellist pointing out that Hongkongers have deep frustrations that have not been addressed
The outcome of the blistering US-China trade war is the most immediate of several variables poised to fundamentally shape the US-China relationship over the next decade and deeply influence the rest of the world, analysts at a conference on US-China relations said on Tuesday in New York.
The panellists expressed hope that the two superpowers could dial back their distrust and suspicion moving ahead but added that they weren’t expecting much immediate progress.
“Now more than ever, it’s very important for China and the United States – as superpowers, really, in the world economically – to tamp down the kind of craziness that’s going on,” said Alice Young, founder of an advisory group bearing her name.
“And I’m not sure that, right now, we’re going to be capable of that,” she added, speaking at China Conference USA: Competition or Cooperation?, sponsored by the South China Morning Post.
Among the key variables expected to shape the future are whether China’s economic growth rate remains at six per cent to seven per cent annually over for the next decade, or if it slips.
