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...
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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.
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.
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...
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...
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.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) has been a game changer for forced labor import bans. Its broad scope, covering anything made “in whole or in part” with input from Xinjiang or entities blacklisted on the UFLPA entity list, has forced companies to rethink supply chain traceability in China and the region. As US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detentions under the law cross the $1 billion threshold, the agency is performing a tough balancing act between trying to limit...
Since reform and opening began nearly 50 years ago, China’s private sector has played an increasingly important role in the economy, accounting for 60 percent of GDP, 70 percent of innovative capacity, 80 percent of employment, and 90 percent of new jobs. The private sector’s importance led economic and political planners to hold to a “market-led, government-guided” model, which maintains that enterprises operate on market principles but are also subject to government mandates for industry...