US PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP is expected to nominate Robert Lighthizer, known for his protectionist views, to be the US trade representative. Beijing News commented on Wednesday:

A longtime advocate of protectionism, Robert Lighthizer is likely to be the latest prominent hardliner to join the Trump administration, which has shown a special taste for trade hawks. During the years Lighthizer served as deputy trade representative in the administration of former US president Ronald Reagan, the US was in constant trade wars with Japan.

Trump is well known for his inclination to take risks and make audacious moves, as revealed on the campaign trail. That said, his provocative and extreme arguments, online and offline, merit high vigilance at a time when he is set to appoint a trade hawk to deliver on his campaign promises to counter "unfair trading practices" by China, for example.