August 13, 2017

US President Donald Trump's administration on Aug 14 will decide whether to use Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to rebalance the United States' trade with China, which could trigger a trade war.

And the inquiry the US administration has ordered into China's trade policies, if carried out, could intensify tensions, especially on intellectual property rights.

Section 301 authorizes the US president to impose trade sanctions on countries that are judged to have violated trade agreements or engaged in unfair trade practices. Since 1989, the US has issued a Special 301 Report every year, focusing on intellectual property rights. The US Trade Representative put China on the "Priority Watch List" in 1989, and ramped up pressure on "intellectual property rights protection" since then.

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http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2017-08/13/content_30538336.htm