Key details on the agenda and deliverables for President Donald Trump’s trip to China early next month remain unclear as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer prepare to meet with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris over Sunday and Monday.
On June 18, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to China for a two-day official visit in what was the first Cabinet-level trip to China during the Biden administration and the first trip by a US secretary of state to China in five years.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China over the weekend marked a significant step in the ongoing dialogue between the United States and China. Blinken engaged in a series of meetings with key Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing this weekend for meetings with senior Chinese officials. On Wednesday, Blinken and China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke by phone, offering a preview of what both sides wish to discuss during the visit.
US-China bilateral trade in goods has decreased significantly in 2023 after reaching a record high in 2022. This trend is in large part due to economic challenges in China that have impacted Chinese demand for US goods, as well as supply chain diversification, which has resulted in fewer US imports from China in favor of more imports from other countries.
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.”
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.
On Tuesday, a State Department official confirmed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to travel to China for talks in the coming weeks.
On Wednesday, the fourth US-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting took place in Luleå, Sweden. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and US Trade Representative Katherina Tai engaged their EU counterparts on several issues, including the consolidation of supply chains, mechanisms for investment screening, export controls, and methods for handling non-market economies.
China’s progress in implementing reforms to its IP system is among USCBC’s long-lasting focuses. As we continue advocating for more enforceable, effective IP protection on behalf of the American business community, we are writing to share noteworthy USCBC work and IP policy developments since the last update.
