Bolton: Trump's Punitive Trade Penalties Are 'A Little Shock Therapy' For China

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

dailycaller
RYAN PICKRELL
China/Asia Pacific Reporter
11:07 AM 03/25/2018

[excerpt]

http://dailycaller.com/2018/03/25/john-bolton-tariffs-china/

[snip]

“I don’t think anybody is looking to have a trade war,” John Bolton explained to New York AM 970 radio host John Catsimatidis, according to The Hill. “For far too long, China has taken advantage of its place in the world … the trade arrangements it has with the United States and other countries.”

“The United States lives by these agreements,” he asserted. “All we’re asking for here is for the Chinese to do the same. So I think this could be a little shock therapy, get their attention, and hopefully it’ll have a good impact.”

The president announced Thursday tens of billions of dollars in trade penalties in response to Chinese theft of American intellectual property. Trump’s trade moves prompted countless trade war hot takes from experts and journalists, and it seemed to shake the markets. Furthermore, the proposed penalties resulted in criticism from Beijing.