On June 28, China’s top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, adopted the Foreign Relations Law (FRL) after a second reading. Though the law’s provisions are mainly declaratory rather than enforceable, the law’s passage marks an all-encompassing effort from Beijing to streamline the country’s handling of foreign affairs and to further expand its legal toolbox to counter foreign provocations and sanctions.
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July 5th, 2023
July 5th, 2023
On May 29, the National People’s Congress (NPC) released its 2023 Legislative Work Plan, which outlines 13 laws to be reviewed by the NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) during the June, August, and December NPC sessions. Shortly after, the State Council released its 2023 Legislative Work Plan, listing 17 laws and 17 regulations to be drafted and/or revised this year.
June 23rd, 2023
While Blinken’s visit to China yielded limited progress on substantive policy disagreements between the United States and China, it laid the foundation for subsequent senior-level delegations and exchanges in the near term.
June 14th, 2023
The latest economic and trade data point to a continued slowdown for US-China trade.
US-China bilateral trade in goods decreased significantly year over year in Q1 and again in April despite US-worldwide trade remaining more or less the same.
June 14th, 2023
China's protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights remains a key challenge for both US companies and a key issue for the US government. The Office of the US Trade Representative said in its 2023 Special 301 Report that the slow pace of China’s IP reform is a “serious concern.” The Chinese government has also long acknowledged the need to better protect domestic and foreign firms’ innovations. Recent patent filing data released by the National Intellectual Property...
June 14th, 2023
Over the last several months, both the United States and China have issued plans to support standards-setting activities in emerging sectors in an attempt to ensure first-mover advantages over one another and their global competitors. But if countries’ standards move further apart over the long term, these plans may undermine global firms’ ability to conform their operations and products with varying standards, impacting both technological interoperability and operating costs.
May 11th, 2023
On April 26, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress voted to adopt revised amendments to China’s Anti-Espionage Law. The amendments go into effect on July 1 and mark the first changes to the law since it was promulgated in 2014. The amended law further formalizes the state's power to target activities in the name of national security, with a particular focus on data and information flows.
May 11th, 2023
In an April 24 speech, Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), a member of the new House Select Committee on the CCP, outlined his vision for the future of the US-China relationship. Khanna argued that the United States must be willing to suspend China’s permanent normal trade relations (PNTR), saying: "Prior to joining the [World Trade Organization], US law required China’s [PNTR] status to be renewed annually. This status is a privilege, and the US should decide this status annually—as we once...
May 11th, 2023
In the first quarter of the year, China’s economy expanded by 4.5 percent, exceeding economists’ growth expectations of around 4 percent. The first quarter performance is a step toward reaching China’s 2023 growth target of 5 percent and is indicative of a return from its COVID-stunted economy. However, concerns continue to linger amid declining manufacturing and questions surrounding the durability of the consumption rebound. Down the line, China’s economy will continue to face productivity...
April 26th, 2023
On March 31, China’s Cybersecurity Review Office announced a cybersecurity review (CSR) investigation into US chipmaker Micron, citing supply chain security and cybersecurity risks. This investigation has spurred questions and concerns about the CSR process and whether it will create new compliance difficulties for US companies moving forward.
