Özet:

This paper raises the question whether there is more to the trade dispute between the People’s Republic of China and the United States than just trade. In seeking an answer to this question, the paper considers both sides of the arguments put forth relating to China’s efforts to dramatically expand its exports through the Belt and Road Initiative, which may be seen as a further expansion of its policy of creating “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.” The paper discusses issues relating to trade in the larger context of China’s attempt to transform its economy, focusing on efforts to modernize its competition law regime. The paper raises several ominous signs for China in areas relating to performance of state-owned industries in the economy, the role of the Chinese Communist Party and recent trends in party leadership, finance, debt, economic growth, and demographics that may prove problematic in the future. At the same time, the paper considers U.S. concerns relating to the theft of its intellectual property and other aspects of forced technology transfer which characterize the Chinese market that are at the core of the dispute between two superpowers with very different aspirations and perspectives.

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