[1/4]US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimond shakes hands with China’s Commerce Department Director Lin Feng as she watches US Ambassador to China Nick Burns arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on Sunday, August 27, 2023. Andy Wong/Pool (via Reuters) Acquisition of license rights
BEIJING, Aug 27 (Reuters) – U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimond arrived in Beijing late Sunday for a four-day visit to strengthen business ties between the world’s two largest economies, citing U.S. national security officials. Declared trade policy out of the question.
“If we want to put a catchphrase on this trip and our mission, it’s to protect what we have to do and promote it as much as possible,” Raimond told reporters before leaving for China on Friday. Told. “I’m not going to relax on site next week, but I’m going to work on it practically.”
While the United States worked with allies to block China’s access to advanced semiconductors, the Chinese government restricted shipments of prominent semiconductor company Micron Technology (MU.O) and “performed unauthorized statistical work.” have raided and fined US company Mintz Group $1.5 million, so relations are strained. . ”
Greeted on arrival by Chinese Ministry of Commerce official Lin Feng, Raimondo is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese officials in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday before heading to Shanghai. She will be accompanied by US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns.
Raimondo spoke to President Joe Biden on Thursday about his visit and delivered a message that dialogue with China could ease tensions.
“We want to build a stable commercial relationship and at the core of it is regular communication,” said Raimondo. “We need to communicate to avoid conflict.”
Republicans in Congress criticized the possibilityDuring his visit, Raimond plans to set up a working group to discuss semiconductor export controls between China and the United States.
Raimond did not confirm the working group’s plans, but stressed he would tell Chinese officials: “We will not negotiate on national security. We will not compromise. We will not compromise.”
The United States is using government incentives and tax policies to cut American companies out of China’s supply chain and expand U.S. semiconductor production.
“Just because we’re investing in the U.S. doesn’t mean we want to disconnect from the Chinese economy at all,” Raimondo said.
China’s ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, who met with Raimond last week, said China seeks “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
The White House this month began banning some U.S. investments in classified technology in China and will soon finalize sweeping export controls on advanced semiconductors adopted in October.
“Many challenges”
Raimond is the fourth senior U.S. official to visit China recently, and the first by a Commerce Secretary in seven years.
She vowed to speak with more than 100 senior business leaders before the visit and voice their concerns.
“There are so many challenges to doing business in China and exporting to China, and China’s unfair trade practices hurt American workers and businesses,” Raimond said.
Given that President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States may be within three months, Wendy Cutler, deputy director of the Asian Institute for Social Policy, said, “China will work with the United States to identify practical areas of economic relations. I’m interested in doing that,” he said. if possible to cooperate. ”
Raimond also wants to promote travel and tourism between the two countries.
China and the United States agreed this month to double the number of flights allowed between the two countries, but it is still a fraction of what it was before the pandemic.
Raimond said if China returned to U.S. tourist levels in 2019, it would add $30 billion to the U.S. economy and add 50,000 U.S. jobs.
A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Mr. Raimond was working for Walt Disney Co.[DIS.N]and China’s state-owned Shendi Group joint venture, they are considering a visit to Shanghai Disneyland.
Another pressing question is when Chinese airlines will resume delivering Boeing 737 MAX jets after a four-year hiatus. In 2021, Mr. Raimond said the Chinese government is blocking Chinese airlines from buying “tens of billions of dollars” of Boeing aircraft.
Boeing said it was ready to deliver the aircraft to Chinese airlines “when the time comes.”
Reporting in Beijing by David Shepardson. Additional reporting by Michael Martina of Washington.Editing: Robert Barthel and Bill Barclot
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