Former Treasury official Silk reflected on the phase one trade agreement with China, highlighting the use of tariffs as leverage to bring Chinese negotiators to the table. He noted that while the agreement did not eliminate the trade deficit entirely, it made significant progress in reducing it. Silk also emphasized that the deal tackled important concerns beyond trade, including intellectual property protections, cyber issues, and international development finance practices. These achievements were described as key accomplishments during the administration's negotiations with China.