Hold on, where does it say that the US wants to insert agents into China's government to audit finances? Can I see a source? Cus I would say that's insulting enough to just stop talks at that point and that's including that I think it's only worth talking to stall for time rather than hope for any real understanding.
Right now there's just no incentive for China to make a deal. With a deal, what happens? China commits to buy a trillion dollars of American farm crap to massively reduce trade gap, implements rules to protect US IPs and what else, puts on a show to pretend to stop subsidies to state enterprises? Without a deal, what happens? China doesn't need do any of that and continues to enjoy a huge trade deficit against the US... and Americans pay tariffs. Whether the surplus shrinks or grows by a little month on month is a very small issue compared to what would have to happen to make a "deal." If the US is somehow implementing policies that are reversing China's trade surplus into a deficit, then there would be pressure for China to talk but as things are, there's just not. Right now it's like an angry person threatening Walmart asking for reformed staff, price reductions, and free gift cards otherwise he says he'll spend $900 every year at Walmart instead of $1000. What's Walmart gonna say? OK, you buy as much or as little as you need but whatever happens, we make money off of you; you don't make money off of us. Stalling and playing is the best thing for China to do. Dragging a deal along for 6 months and then saying we need to redo all the stuff before right before the final signing sounds just like that.
Trump talks about being a great negotiator but he doesn't even understand that you need incentive to get someone to really want to negotiate rather than stall.
