Business leaders express concerns over friction

Business leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area gathered on Wednesday to send a clear message to the Trump administration: Adding trade friction to the bilateral relationship between the US and China won't help either one grow; the two sides should engage in conversation instead of confrontation.

At a reception jointly sponsored by the Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco, the Asia Society and ChinaSF at the residence of Luo Linquan, China's consul-general in the city, around 100 representatives from US companies, think tanks and research organizations voiced their concerns over President Donald Trump initiating a possible trade war with China.

The US' most important foreign relationship right now is with China, Thilo Hanemann, research director at the Rhodium Group, said during a panel discussion at the reception. To alleviate tensions, the world's two largest economies need to strengthen communication, he added.