A major hurdle in trade talks: US and China ‘play by different economic rules'

Timothy Stratford is featured in a South China Morning Post article about his views on U.S.-China trade relations. Mr. Stratford says multinational companies with Chinese or U.S. operations have been caught in crossfire of the trade war between the nations. “What’s happening now is that the current deadlock is causing companies from both countries to rethink their sourcing and investment plans in order to reduce risks,” he says. “The result is that a gradual process of decoupling the two economies has begun.” Mr. Stratford adds, “It doesn’t mean that US and Chinese companies will stop doing business completely, but it does mean that continued business will only make sense if the advantages outweigh a 25 per cent tariff and other risks.”