Eyes on US Secretary of Commerce Raimondo's Visit to China... Will She Meet President Xi?

China is expressing expectations for the easing of export controls on China ahead of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's visit to China. Attention is also focused on whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Secretary Raimondo.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 22nd that the U.S. Commerce Department's removal of 27 Chinese companies and organizations from the "Unverified List," which is subject to export control concerns, "shows that both sides can resolve specific concerns through communication based on mutual respect." Wang added, "China will continue to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and institutions."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to Xinhua News Agency, Premier Li Chang met with the U.S.-China Trade National Committee delegation in Beijing on the 21st and expressed China's willingness to cooperate, stating, "China is willing to work with the United States to fulfill the responsibilities of major countries, uphold international trade rules, and cooperate to ensure the stability of the global industrial chain."

Earlier, the U.S. took measures to ease export controls on some Chinese companies. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Commerce Department removed 27 Chinese companies and organizations, including Guangdong Guanghua Science and Technology and Nanjing Gaohua Science and Technology, from the Unverified List, which is a step before the export control blacklist. If sufficient clarification about details such as the final end user is not provided at this stage, the entity is placed on the blacklist.

Regarding the background of the BIS's selection of the Unverified List, Chinese economic media Caixin reported that "various factors such as incorrect addresses, phone numbers, email information, non-cooperation with local governments, obstruction or refusal of inspections, and inability to conduct visual inspections of export products" are involved, and that Chinese companies have been included on the Unverified List since 2014. From 2014 to 2017, mainly Hong Kong electronic communication companies were included, and from 2018, mainland companies began to be listed. Caixin further explained, "In recent months, the U.S. has taken fewer measures related to export controls compared to last year," but "the U.S. has recently strengthened investigations related to investment in China."

It has not yet been confirmed whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Secretary Raimondo. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) explained, "Recent weak economic performance in China may affect President Xi's willingness to participate, but it is not the only factor."

Brett Bruen, a former White House official under the Barack Obama administration, told SCMP, "President Xi plans to exploit the weaknesses of American democracy and secure a stronger position for China in regional and international communities," emphasizing, "We need to watch which path he chooses."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.