Trump's First 100 Days and the Impact of the US-China Trade War: With Mr Steve Okun

EAI Visiting Research Professor Frank Pieke speaks to Mr Steve Okun, Founder and CEO of Singapore-based consultancy APAC Advisors, in this episode of East Asia Pulse.   They discuss China’s response to the imposition of “reciprocal tariffs” by US President Donald Trump and the effectiveness of the use of tariffs as part of the US' strategy to contain China, following the 100-day mark of his second presidency on 29 April.  They also weigh in on the prospects for a trade deal between the US and China, as well as the impact of US-China trade policies on businesses in Southeast Asia. Key Highlights: 00:00 China’s dominance in the global markets and the US' response 07:29 The effectiveness of trade tariffs as a tool for the US in dealing with a perceived “China threat”  11:48 Whether the US and China would be able to endure the fallout of the trade war 18:32 The impact of the tariffs on US global firms and the evolving role of China for US businesses 27:48 The response of Southeast Asia-based businesses and companies to the US-China trade conflictThis podcast episode was recorded on 2 May, 2025.East Asia Pulse is a podcast produced by the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS). It provides in-depth analyses of political, economic and strategic trends in East Asia.Mailing list: http://tiny.cc/eai-emailingLinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/east-asian-institute/YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/EastAsianInstituteNUS