My colleagues David Sanger and Sewell Chan, reporting on the House vote, said it "sent an unusually confrontational signal to the Chinese leadership" by giving the Obama administration "expanded authority to impose tariffs on virtually all Chinese imports to the United States".
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives sent an unusually confrontational signal to the Chinese leadership on Wednesday, voting overwhelmingly to give the Obama administration expanded authority to impose tariffs on virtually all Chinese imports to the United States.
The fact that the writers in this study have refrained from using such highly confrontational gap-signaling could be interpreted as an effort to sound duly cautious, especially so as an academic apprentice who has yet to acquire membership in the community in order to speak authoritatively.
Either approach would signal a more confrontational posture by declaring a part of the Iranian military a terrorist operation.
In Avignon, France, the European Union's foreign ministers met to discuss relations with Russia and Ukraine, and signaled a less confrontational approach than the United States.
In recent days, Mrs. Bachmann has tried to join the fray, indirectly taking on Mr. Perry over the issue, signaling a more confrontational strategy.
If imposed, the declaration would signal a more confrontational turn in the administration's approach to Iran and would be the first time that the United States has added the armed forces of any sovereign government to its list of terrorist organizations.
Treasury officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, later said that Mr. Geithner's written comment about China's currency had been mistakenly included in his responses to senators, and that the administration was not signaling a more confrontational stance than the Bush administration had taken toward trade with China.
Sharif, who in the past often displayed a confrontational posture toward Washington, had signaled since the election his interest in a more cooperative relationship this time.
Last week, Timothy F. Geithner, who was sworn in Monday as Treasury secretary, signaled a potentially more confrontational stance toward China, saying in written testimony to the Senate that China manipulated its currency.
