US Commerce Secretary presses China on fairness

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said he pressed China during his visit to Beijing this week to level a “lopsided” playing field for American companies there, The Wall Street Journal reports. Ross was in Beijing to pave the way for a meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, expected in November, when Ross will also lead a trade delegation to China. He told a media briefing in Hong Kong on Wednesday that he is optimistic about talks between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies, though neither side had signaled any concessions on the thorny issues dividing them. Topping the US agenda, Ross said, is market access for American companies. The US will push China to lower protectionist barriers and improve protection of intellectual property, he said, especially as China is gunning to become a more powerful technology player.