The Pulse：Interview with historian Niall Ferguson on China-US relationships

For the past two years, China and the United States have locked horns in a trade war that has inevitably buffeted the world’s economy. On Wednesday, we saw a brief respite in the tension as a phase one deal was signed. Although the deal has limited scope, in signing it the PRC pledges to buy US$200 billion worth of goods and services from the United States and has committed not to manipulate its currency.      

Niall Ferguson teaches history and business at Harvard, Stanford and Oxford universities. His theories have made him a sometimes-controversial commentator. A prolific writer, he has focused on history, wars, the economy, and more. His bestsellers include “The Ascent of Money” and “Civilisation: The West and the Rest”. Both were turned into award-wining television shows. Last week, I sat down with him to talk about China-U.S. relations.