In the summer of 2020, then-Attorney General Bill Barr warned in a speech on US-China relations that America’s corporate leaders “should be alert to how [they] might be used, and how [their] efforts on behalf of a foreign company or government could implicate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).” This and other statements in Barr’s speech were an unmistakable warning that China-related business advocacy efforts were in the crosshairs of Justice Department lawyers. Under the Biden...
China Market Intelligence
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September 22nd, 2021
September 22nd, 2021
Competing pressures regarding human rights and labor issues involving the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China have been building over the last year. In response to reports of forced labor, the United States has issued import bans on cotton, tomatoes, and silica-based products from the region, and sanctioned Chinese officials and organizations. The Senate has approved legislation that, if passed into law, would ban all products from Xinjiang from entering the United States...
September 22nd, 2021
China temporarily stopped allowing foreign nationals with valid visas and residency permits to enter China starting in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak and has only issued very limited special temporary visas (Q, M, and Z visas) since then. In September 2020, China lifted the additional visa requirements for foreign nationals who hold a valid residence permit. When it comes to hiring foreign nationals who do not yet possess a residence permit, the additional requirements remain in...
September 15th, 2021
The past few weeks have seen multiple high-level engagements between the US and Chinese governments. In Washington, USCBC is becoming acquainted with China's new ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang. At this juncture, please allow me to share what we have learned and introduce an important new member of USCBC’s senior leadership.
September 8th, 2021
The term “common prosperity” has reappeared in the Chinese government’s lexicon, most recently during last month’s meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs (CCFEA), the Chinese Communist Party’s highest-level economic policymaking body. President Xi Jinping, in a highly televised speech, framed common prosperity as the next step in China’s development and as an essential requirement of socialism.
September 8th, 2021
August recess was anything but quiet, as Washington grappled with massive spending bills and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. When lawmakers return to regularly scheduled hearings and floor votes in mid-September, they are unlikely to spend the last eight weeks of the legislative year prioritizing China issues. However, they could still codify certain bipartisan proposals by burying them in must-pass spending bills or passing them by unanimous consent, two processes that are opaque to...
September 8th, 2021
Different regions in China offer a variety of incentives for foreign businesses to establish local research and development (R&D) centers. However, a divergence between central and local policy and the perceived sensitivity of foreign-sponsored R&D have prompted concern from foreign companies looking to enter or expand their presence in the R&D space. While USCBC member companies have developed strategies to mitigate these challenges, they acknowledge clear limitations in the...
August 25th, 2021
Since being introduced in China’s Cybersecurity Law in 2017, the concept of “important data” has been shrouded in obscurity, while its legal significance has continued to grow. Foreign companies are concerned and unsure if the data they collect will be captured under the important data umbrella, which would subject them to stringent data localization requirements and restrictions on cross-border data flows. Notably, the finalized Data Security Law expanded cross-border data flow restrictions...
August 25th, 2021
On July 26, China’s Ministry of Commerce unveiled the Special Measures for Cross-Border Services Trade at the Hainan Free Trade Port, Hainan’s first negative list for the cross border services industry. The measures, which go into effect on August 26, specify 70 areas where overseas service providers are restricted from conducting business across 11 sectors, including retail, transportation, finance, business services, and education. Foreign service providers are allowed to operate in areas...
August 25th, 2021
Despite US-China tensions, COVID-19, and continued tariffs on both Chinese and US goods, US exports to China remain strong and have reached record levels so far this year. Through the first half of 2021, US goods exports to China increased nearly 44 percent compared to the previous year. The data for 2021 is compared with a low 2020 base, but when compared to years prior, 2021 exports still remain historically high. So far, US exports to China are 21, 11, and 37 percent higher in 2021 than...
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Congressional Legislative Tracker
The USCBC Government Affairs team continuously monitors China-related bills and broader legislative trends spanning a variety of issue areas, including trade and investment, national security, telecommunications, and human rights.
