Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 17, 2019

Beijing sensitivities about details of the text of its trade agreement with the US being made public were behind the collapse of negotiations, according to Susan Thornton, former US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. Photo: Bloomberg

Kinling Lo, SCMP: What killed US-China trade talks: A tale of two texts

* A difference of opinion over detail behind sudden shift from optimism to renewed hostilities
* Washington prefers to reveal what Beijing would conceal

The trade talks between China and the United States collapsed because Beijing removed details outlining the obligations it was required to meet as part of reaching a deal to end the trade war, according to a former senior US official.

Susan Thornton, former acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said both sides had agreed on a time frame to gradually implement changes as they worked towards a final settlement. The Americans, however, wanted to set benchmarks on specific issues so they could be certain of the progress being made towards reaching the finished deal.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 17, 2019

China's tough rhetoric leaves trade talks with U.S. in limbo -- Ben Blanchard and David Shepardson, Reuters

No Longer a Trade Tiff: China Screams ‘People’s War’ -- Gordon G. Chang, National Interest

How Donald Trump’s tweets outgunned China’s heavy media weapons in the trade war publicity battle -- Jun Mai & William Zheng, SCMP

Trade is just an opening shot in a wider US-China conflict -- Philip Stephens, Financial Times

Huawei and the cold tech war between US and China -- Adrian Brown, Al Jazeera

Where has all the money gone? US-China trade war triggers capital flight from emerging Asian markets -- Laura He, SCMP

Trump’s America would go it alone against Iran -- Alison Tahmizian Meuse, Asia Times

Trump, Iran and the nuclear deal: What's happened? -- BBC

John Bolton Is Exactly What Trump’s Iran Policy Needs -- Eli Lake, Bloomberg

10 years on, Sri Lanka grapples with war's legacy -- Minelle Fernandez, Al Jazeera

North Korea’s ambivalence about food aid -- Bradley K. Martin, Asia Times

The calm for Congo's Ebola storm -- CSM Editorial

Finland is becoming Europe’s Japan -- Charlie Duxbury, Politico

Russia and Cuba Could End the Venezuelan Catastrophe -- Jorge Castañeda, NY Times