“The Trump administration has prioritized ‘undercutting’ the world’s second-biggest economy instead of communicating properly and clouded the chances of China accommodating U.S. interests, Daniel Russel, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute who served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under President Barack Obama, told Bloomberg Television. He emphasized a need for compromise from both sides.

“‘You can’t communicate with your negotiating partner through telepathy, you have to really talk,’ he said from Sydney.

“…Russel also warned that Chinese influence could grow and fill a regional vacuum left by the U.S. should Trump opt out of participating in multilateral meetings in Asia-Pacific.

“‘That’s problematic in part because China is simply not manifesting that kind of commitment to the rules-based order and a fair and open region that countries value,’ he said…”

Read the full article here: