US-China trade: Is IP crux of the issue?

U.S. doubts over progress in China on IP protection may be at the heart of the current trade dispute. And a 10% U.S. tariff on Chinese exports worth US$200 billion would equate to an estimated 0.2% to 0.3% decline in China’s GDP growth . . .

WASHINGTON — ANZ Bank believes U.S. wariness about technology transfers is still the major hurdle to overcome in resolving differences between the U.S. and China – and, going forward, it expects the U.S. to continue to initiate other trade measures, with China reciprocating.
Following talks in Washington, the two countries issued a joint statement vowing not to launch a trade war against each other, but based on the official release, ANZ researchers do not see any substantial progress in resolving existing issues in the Sino-US trade relationship.