Bush-era trade hands warm to Trump's China agenda

Several key members of President George W. Bush’s trade policy team, which advocated for a free market agenda, increasingly view the Trump administration’s China agenda in a sympathetic light. While disagreeing with Trump’s protectionist instincts on several key points, the Bush-era trade hands argue that the broader economy has changed and that the concerns Trump is addressing are real.

Many of the advocates for more open trade with China a decade ago argue now that Beijing hasn’t done enough to liberalize its economy. Reactions like the Trump administration’s, they say, were inevitable — and Beijing should recognize that reality.