Clete Willems Quoted in POLITICO on Trump’s “No Rush” Foreign Policy

Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems has been quoted in the POLITICO article “Trump’s ‘no rush’ foreign policy.” The article reports on the patience President Trump has shown in the midst of several major foreign policy issues, among them, attempts at negotiation of a trade deal with China and a nuclear agreement with North Korea, along with the ongoing standoff with Iran.

Last week, the article says, Mr. Trump repeated his “no rush” approach with Iran, which serves as both a negotiating strategy and an effort to make up for any lack of progress of negotiations. The President, the article says, believes the United States can wait out its adversaries as it increases pressure on them to engage in meaningful talks, using either sanctions or tariffs.

With regard to China, the article reports that President Trump is betting that Chinese President Xi Jinping will relent before he does.

“‘I’m in no hurry’ means, ‘I can sustain this,’” said Willems, a former Trump White House official who was closely involved in the China talks. “The gamble for the President, and I think it’s the right play, is that the United States’ economy is stronger than China’s economy and therefore is best positioned to handle any adverse impact from the tariffs.”