Asia

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative defended its choice in World Trade Organization director-general candidate on Wednesday, arguing the organization “must” be led by someone with "hands-on" experience in trade and that person is Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was named on Wednesday as the director-general candidate with the widest support, but her appointment remains in question after the U.S. told members it could not join the consensus for her to lead the WTO, according to a source in the room and other reports. 

The World Trade Organization will announce its consensus director-general pick on Wednesday, with Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala picking up momentum after winning European Union support this week.

Key policies under consideration in Beijing this week signal the country is aiming to increase its control over companies and the economy rather than striving for market orientation, U.S.-China Business Council President Craig Allen said this week.

Next year’s targets are even bigger than this year’s targets, so it’s going to be even harder to catch up.

China has purchased more than 70 percent of the U.S. agricultural products it pledged to buy during the first year of its phase-one trade deal with the U.S., according to a new report from the Trump administration that relies on a new method of tracking purchases.

U.S. relations with China -- including the phase-one trade deal -- won’t change much regardless of who wins the White House in November, according to former Ambassador to China Max Baucus, though former Vice President Joe Biden, should he prevail, likely will shake up the “process” while rallying U.S. allies to confront Beijing in a more coordinated fashion.