CNN’s Richard Quest: ‘China Is Not the Good Guy’ in Trade Battle

Richard Quest, a CNN international business correspondent, poured cold water on his network’s narrative about President Donald Trump’s tariffs levied against China during a Friday morning panel.

“China is not the good guy in all of this,” Quest said on New Day. “Everybody agrees China needs to change its trading policies.”

Partial transcript below.

QUEST: I have no doubt that China will negotiate around the edges. Let’s be clear, China has some miscreant behavior. They’ve stolen our IP. They’ve put in place ventures that don’t work. China is not the good guy in all of this. Everybody agrees China needs to change its trading policies.

…

I think we’re in this for the long haul. What China will do, [it] will start using non-tariff barriers. They’ll make it more difficult for U.S. corporations to do business, have different capital requirements [and] joint ventures. You watch. China is going to send a message to U.S. corporations: You do business in China on our terms.

Earlier in the segment, CNN’s Alisyn Camerota credited President Donald Trump — not the Chinese state — with initiating a “trade war.”

“President Trump has launched a trade war with China overnight,” she said.

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