Will Steve Bannon's legacy live on? China trade probe poses key test

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News

A stand-off with China over the country’s shady tactics for obtaining U.S. tech is at the center of speculation over whether Steve Bannon’s nationalist trade agenda will survive in the Trump administration even after his resignation.

Late last week, just as Bannon’s exit as was announced, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced his office took the rare step of launching an investigation of China under what’s known as Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

“I have determined that these critical issues merit a thorough investigation,” Lighthizer said in a statement, citing concerns about whether Chinese policies are harming American intellectual property rights and innovation.

The obscure trade tiff has led to a great divide on this side of the Pacific.

The concern from corporate America, unions and free trade experts is that the Trump administration will follow its bluster with potentially damaging unilateral action. The concern from the so-called Bannon base, however, is that the administration will pay lip service to the fiery populist’s agenda, only to back down in the end.

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The Chinese conundrum?