Ahead of high-level US-China trade talks on Thursday, Washington added China’s top artificial intelligence startups to its blacklist, citing Beijing’s alleged mistreatment of Muslim minorities.

It’s a “crazy thing to do” while going into negotiations, says Professor Richard Wolff. He tells RT’s Boom Bust that it “basically destroys the whole chance of working something out,” adding that “the Chinese have never bent to this.”

Wolff continues: “So why do it? The answer is: it’s about domestic American politics.”

The US economist explains that “Trump, in deepening economic and political difficulties, has to have an ongoing drama, up and down, higher tension-lower tension.”

“Trump is going to keep this going until the moment he thinks it’s correct to cut a deal with China to portray it to the American people, if he can, as a great victory, whatever it really is, and hope that it will help him in the election… Think of this as a dance to which the Chinese are invited but it’s a dance completely choreographed by Mr. Trump and his drive for re-election,” Wolff added.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section