As China cuts tariffs on imports from foreign countries, the US is escalating trade tensions with others. To discuss Washington's protectionism measures, CGTN interviewed Charles Freeman, a former US diplomat who worked as the main interpreter for Richard Nixon during his 1972 China visit.

Freeman also said that Trump's claim that China is stealing a large number of US jobs does not stand up to scrutiny. He said the modern economy is undergoing tremendous changes as automation replaces workers. And as economy shifts to a service industry, manufacturing is in decline. He said China is also facing similar problems, and many Americans do not see this. Freeman has also given suggestions to Beijing on handling China-US trade tensions.