Expert comment on US-China “trade war”

Tiếng Việt

Expert comment on US-China “trade war”

Dr Steve Clarke and Dr Reza Akbari from RMIT Vietnam’s School of Business & Management are available to comment on the recent trade negotiations between the US and China.

Dr Clarke said: “I don’t believe a trade war is imminent between the US and China.”

“The recent tariffs proposed on both sides can be better understood through a cultural lens. Both Trump and Xi have utilised negotiation strategies which follow traditional Chinese thought, one that views ‘The marketplace as a battlefield’.”

“For those who don’t understand Sun Tzu’s 36 Stratagem approach to cross-cultural negotiations, it may appear like there is ‘conflict’ and that a trade war is imminent. But in fact there are already signs on both sides indicating that progress is being made through the current talks.”

“These negotiation strategies are interlinked with what the two countries are doing in the region as a whole – politically, economically, militarily – including Trump’s announcements this past week, first to rejoin the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and then to change his mind.”

Dr Clarke said the results of US-China negotiations will impact Vietnam.

“Possible opportunities for Vietnam could include increased US trade and direct investment transferred from China to Vietnam”.

Additionally, Dr Akbari added “Further impact on Vietnam trade could result from a couple areas including: increased outsourcing of production directly from the US, and/or rerouting of production from China to Vietnam which would then be shipped on to the US [in order to bypass tariffs].”

“In the event of an actual trade war between China and the US, there could be long term changes to various supply chain networking, resulting in added growth of trade between Vietnam and the US”.

Dr Steve Clarke holds a PhD in International Business from Northcentral University in Arizona, USA. He is MBA Program Manager and Post Graduate Business Startups Program Manager for RMIT Vietnam.

Dr Reza Akbari holds a DBA in Logistics and Supply Chain from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, and is Course Coordinator and Lecturer at RMIT Vietnam.

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Tel: (84-28) 3776 1386 or (84) 975 666 773

Email: thuy.le@rmit.edu.vn