This week, the United States and China continued to take action on commitments made during the leaders’ meeting in October.
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.
On Thursday, it was announced that China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao will meet with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington and with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai in Detroit next week. Many have been expecting Tai and Wentao to meet, as Detroit is hosting the trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) May 25 to 26.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held eight hours of talks with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, over Wednesday and Thursday in Vienna in a step toward stabilizing relations. The previously undisclosed talks broke a period of relative silence between the two countries, following the Chinese surveillance balloon incident earlier this year.
