White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Monday there is no link between Chinese trade talks and President Trump’s desire to see former Vice President Joseph R. Biden investigated for any overlap between his official actions and his son Hunter’s business ties abroad.
“The president’s view is there is no linkage between that and the trade talks. I guarantee there will be no linkage,” Mr. Kudlow told White House reporters.
However, Mr. Kudlow was unable to say whether the president was joking when he said China ought to look into the Bidens, generally.
“I don’t honestly know,” Mr. Kudlow said.
Mr. Trump’s suggestion about China and the Bidens, floated in the White House driveway last week, sparked consternation among House Democrats pursuing an impeachment inquiry into whether Mr. Trump dangled military aid to Ukraine in exchange for dirt on Mr. Biden, a key 2020 Democratic rival.
A pair of Senate Republicans, Mitt Romney of Utah and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, pushed back against the president’s China suggestion, though others said Mr. Trump appeared to be kidding or baiting the press.
The flareup over Mr. Biden and China is unfolding as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Steven Mnuchin welcome a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Liu He to restart thorny trade talks in Washington on Oct. 10.
“The two sides will look to build on the deputy-level talks of the past weeks,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. “Topics of discussion will include forced technology transfer, intellectual property rights, services, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, and enforcement.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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