U.S. lawmakers are calling for the Trump administration to prioritize counter-terrorism over the cyber threats of Russia and China. On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he was rejected when he called U.S. allies to help counter Iran attacks.
The White House has released a readout of Tuesday’s meeting between President Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. According to officials, the president warned Russia against attempts to meddle with U.S. elections and called for a quicker peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.
According to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, the country isn’t prepared to handle a major cyber attack from a foreign rival. Their warning came in a draft report to President Trump this week in which it asks the administration to act quickly and take bold action.
China is hoping to reach a trade agreement with the U.S. as soon as possible. On Monday, China’s assistant commerce minister said Beijing is pushing to finalize the ‘phase one’ trade deal by the end of the week. This comes as China’s economy has reportedly dropped to a 30 year low amid the U.S.’s heavy tariffs against the country. One America’s Kristian Rouz has more on how President Trump’s tariffs are hurting China’s economy and increasing the likelihood of a fair trade deal for the U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently called on Portugal to be wary of China’s 5G network. While speaking Thursday from Lisbon alongside the country’s foreign minister, Pompeo said the Chinese Communist Party will not hesitate to use any tool at hand to oppress their own people as well as others around the world.
U.S. China trade talks appear to be at a standstill. On Thursday, a spokesman for the Chinese Commerce ministry said trade teams from both sides are in communication. however, there are no more details to disclose.
A Chinese man is facing charges in the U.S. after allegedly stealing trade secrets while working for Monsanto. A statement from the Justice Department Thursday said the 42-year-old employee was charged in Saint Louis, Missouri after he was stopped by airport federal agents. The man was reportedly headed back to China while carrying “proprietary farming software.”
Sen. Marco Rubio is calling for a free and balanced trading relationship with China. In an interview Thursday, the Florida Republican said the president’s tariffs against Beijing are not undermining free trade because the U.S. has never had free trade with China. As the Trump administration continues to negotiate a ‘phase one’ trade deal with Beijing, Rubio said fixing the trading relationship is not just a “one-time issue.”
A key member of the Federal Open Market Committee said “it will take some time” to see the impact of the bank’s latest interest rate cuts on the U.S economy. In an interview Wednesday, Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said she wants “to monitor and assess how the economy is reacting” to those moves before making any decisions on future monetary policy.