Several questions remain about the implementation of the Phase One trade agreement due to come into force on February 14. With little information from US or Chinese officials as to whether tariffs on various goods will be rolled back, there are doubts over the prospects of purchase commitments being met, and questions about the timeframe. Prospects for “phase two” negotiations are also unclear. In conversations with the US-China Business Council,...
High-level bilateral talks scheduled for end of January
The Chinese government confirmed on Thursday that Vice Premier Liu He will visit the United States from January 30 to 31 to continue the bilateral trade talks that began at the vice-ministerial level from January 7 to 9. China’s Ministry of Commerce Spokesman Gao Feng offered no other details on Liu He’s agenda in Washington, except that both countries will try to implement the common understanding reached by...
US-China trade talks review substantive issues, but no outcomes to date
Trade negotiations between the United States and China this week covered both structural issues and the trade balance. While no agreement was reached—nor was one expected—the substantive discussions laid the groundwork for further negotiations on the most difficult bilateral trade issues.
US-China Business Council sources indicate that the talks were extended to a third day to...
January 5, 2015
Congress’ approval of the 2016 Omnibus spending bill on December 18 contained one significant, positive measure for the US-China relationship: an increase in China’s stake in the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Congress had delayed voting on an IMF reform package for several years, leading some critics in China to view the inaction as part of a containment strategy to limit China’s influence in international institutions.
IMF reform had been a long-...
Erin Ennis, vice president of the US-China Business Council (USCBC), testified today before the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee on a wide range of issues, including competition enforcement, regulatory transparency, intellectual property rights (IPR), and China’s broader compliance with its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments.
In her testimony, Ennis said China remains a valuable market for US companies, but one that could be more valuable if market barriers and...
The US-China Business Council today called on the White House and congressional leaders to oppose counterproductive language expected to be included in 2014 fiscal year appropriations that bars the Departments of Commerce and Justice, NASA, and the National Science Foundation from purchasing information technology (IT) systems from China without first conducting a cyber-espionage or sabotage risk assessment. The letter states that the rule “does little to improve the security of the US...
Today the US-China Business Council (USCBC) said that China has made important progress in opening-up its market since acceding to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, but still has many challenges left to address in order to achieve a fair and equitable market-place for foreign investors.
In written testimony to the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee, USCBC stated that while China is often in compliance with the letter of its WTO commitments, it falls short of the...
The Senate US-China Working Group, co-chaired by Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), met on Tuesday with China Ambassador Cui Tiankai to discuss the bilateral commercial and economic relationship, as well as military cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. In a statement on the meeting, Senator Kirk announced that the working group – which will be formally launched this fall – will serve as a forum for dialogue between the Senate and Chinese government leaders....
