On April 20, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released a 2020-2021 Implementation Plan (“IP Action Plan”), which includes a roadmap of 133 measures to execute the overarching Opinions on Strengthening the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights by the end of 2021. While those opinions were released by the State Council last November, predating the signing of the Phase One agreement, USCBC understands the IP Action Plan to be in direct response to items that were being negotiated as part of the US-China Phase One trade deal. 

China’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) launched a pilot program in early March aimed at improving transparency and impeding corruption and unfair competition in government procurement tenders. The program requires the finance departments of the central government, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen to disclose their procurement intentions for projects to be implemented after July 1, 2020. While MOF’s program may improve several long-standing challenges, it will not solve all issues that foreign companies face in the procurement process.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking comment on additional modification or elimination of tariffs on Section 301 medical care products. Last Friday, March 20, USTR issued a Request for Comments on Additional Modifications to the 301 Action to Address COVID-19, opening a comment period until at least June 25, though USTR may extend as appropriate and will be considering comments on a rolling basis.

Conversations with USCBC member companies in the ICT sector point to the existence of an organization quietly working to shore up China’s ability to establish a technological ecosystem that is able to sustain itself solely on domestic components. While the existence of the alliance does not appear to have any major effects on US companies for the time being, this push for self reliance seemingly belies assurances from the Chinese government that policies calling for “secure and controllable” technology do not discriminate against foreign companies.

After years of under-regulation in online retail, China’s Ecommerce Law officially entered into force at the start of 2019. Although the law introduced sweeping reforms, the industry did not experience overnight change. China’s State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR), the supervisory authority behind the law, has instead maintained a steady drip of measures and policies designed to implement and clarify various provisions of the Ecommerce Law. The result has been a more predictable and fair ecommerce regulatory environment.

Because of public concerns surrounding Wuhan’s handling of the COVID-19 epidemic, Beijing is sending new leadership to Hubei province. Many new local officials were nominated at local “two sessions” across China early this year, including in Shanghai and Jiangsu. The central government proceeded with leadership adjustments at the Liaison Offices in Hong Kong and Macau and the State Council’s Office of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs.