U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly set a policy to allow the withdrawal of certain export controls on China ahead of high-level trade negotiations between the U.S. and China.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 9th, citing multiple sources, that the U.S. delegation allowed the lifting of sanctions on the sale of core technologies and products to China during this negotiation.
The U.S. and China delegations met in London, England, on this day to engage in the second high-level negotiations. This negotiation is expected to address export controls on key industrial materials and technologies as a major agenda.
According to the WSJ, the U.S. is likely to propose lifting sanctions on jet engines and related parts necessary for the manufacturing of civilian aircraft, software required for semiconductor production, and ethane used in plastic manufacturing during this negotiation.
Kevin Wolf, an international trade expert and partner at Akin Gump, noted, "Export controls have historically not been used as leverage in trade negotiations, and this is unprecedented."