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☆ Opinion: How the era of the counterspy changed history
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-08 | by ( Opinion Tim Naftali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

First of all, their main job was to get false information to Adolf Hitler — rather than to steal Nazi secrets. And, secondly, some of these spies didn’t actually exist — they were completely made-up creations of British intelligence. But World War II would see a dramatic expansion of the offensive use of counterspies — not simply to prevent the enemy from knowing things but to actively deceive the enemy by planting disinformation. I also met the man who came up with the D-Day deception, Roger Fleetwood Hesketh, who was a trained architect. He told me that for the D-Day deception, codenamed Fortitude South, he had drawn on different talents.

Persons: Tim Naftali, Adolf Hitler —, didn’t, Counterespionage, —, Juan Pujol García, Garbo, Greta Garbo, ” —, Juan Pujol Garcia, Keith Waldegrave, ANL, ”, George Patton, Hitler, ” Hitler, Roger Fleetwood Hesketh, Alan Turing, counterspies, Anthony Blunt, Kim Philby, ’, Oleg Gordievsky, counterespionage, Robert Hanssen, Aldrich Ames, Hanssen, Ames, Mikhail Gorbachev Organizations: CNN, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Tim Naftali New York University, Allied, Nazi, Army, Pas des Calais, Facebook, Strategic Services, German Wehrmacht, US National Archives, British, Soviets, US, Soviet Union, USSR Locations: France, Pas des, Pas des Calais —, Belgium, British, Berlin, Spanish, United Kingdom, Britain, Buckingham, Calais, Normandy, Tokyo, German, England, Liverpool, Europe, counterespionage, USSR, London, Washington, America, Soviet, Soviet Union

☆ China sees foreign threats ‘everywhere’ as powerful spy agency takes center stage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

But among the crowds you and I together are protecting national security,” the narrator concludes. Chinese soldiers look at a poster promoting national security in the southwestern city of Beihai on National Security Education Day on April 15, 2024. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesAccording to the MSS, foreign spies are omnipresent and infiltrating everything – from mapping apps to weather stations. But China’s spy agency has gradually stepped out of the shadows as Xi makes national security a key priority. “Shenyin Special Investigation Squad” is a comic series based on real-life counterespionage operations, according to China's spy agency.

Persons: –, “, ”, Xi, Xuezhi Guo, Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Mao Zedong, Greitens, Chen Yixin, Chen, “ Chen, ” Greitens, Xi –, denigrate, Bain, Alex Plavevski, Guo, influencers, China’s, can’t, James Zimmerman, Perkins Coie, Zimmerman, ” Zimmerman Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Security Education, “, Ministry of State Security, National Security, Publishing, CIA, National, Education, Capitol, Guilford College, Asia, University of Texas, Getty, Communist Party, FBI, National Security Propaganda, CCTV, Ministry of State, China’s National Security Commission, Group, China Development Forum, Perkins Coie LLP, ”, MSS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beihai, British, American, Beijing, Austin, AFP, Zhejiang province, Shanghai, New York, overreaching

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and China are the two global economic heavyweights. The meeting will bring together 21 Pacific Rim countries, which collectively represent 40% of the world’s people and nearly half of global trade. Indeed, imports of Chinese goods to the United States were down 24% through September compared with the same period of 2022. Xi, too, has reason to try to restore economic cooperation with the United States. “This will not be an easy sell.’’Complicating matters is that the tensions between Washington and Beijing go well beyond economics.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi, Eswar Prasad, “, Prasad, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Chad Bown, Janet Yellen, Lifeng, —, ” Yellen, ’ ’, Wendy Cutler, Raja Krishnamoorthi, ’ ’ Krishnamoorthi, ’ Organizations: WASHINGTON, International Monetary Fund, “, Cornell University, Economic Cooperation, Biden, World Trade Organization, U.S, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Prosperity, Trump, Group, Bain & Co, Micron, IMF, United, Asia Society Institute, Chinese Communist Party, Republicans, Pew Research Center, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Rep, Illinois Democrat Locations: United States, China, Washington, Beijing, U.S, Ukraine, Gaza, Asia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, India, Philippines, South China, Taiwan, Chinese, Kenya, Nigeria, Illinois

☆ Schumer confirms U.S. Senate trip to China, Japan, South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - A bipartisan U.S. Senate delegation will visit China, Japan and South Korea in October, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's office said on Tuesday. The trip will follow visits by a series of Biden administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in August. Other senators on the trip include Republicans Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and Democrats Maggie Hassan and Jon Ossoff. The Chinese Embassy declined to comment Monday on the planned trip. Reporting by David Shephardson and Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Julia Nikhinson, Chuck Schumer's, Republican Mike Crapo, Xi Jinping, Schumer, Biden, Gina Raimondo, Schumer's, Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy, Maggie Hassan, Jon Ossoff, Raimondo, U.S.companies, David Shephardson, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Intelligence, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Senate, Republican, Embassy, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Japan, South Korea, United States, U.S

☆ US Commerce head to meet with CEOs after China trip -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo attends a press conference at the Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services near the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, in Shanghai, China August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo expected to meet with the chief executives of major American companies this week, two weeks after a trip to China where she raised concerns about business conditions, sources told Reuters. She said last month she had spoken to more than 100 U.S. company CEOs ahead of her trip to China about difficulties doing business there. Raimondo in China talked up American companies' desire to do business in China and her hopes for further engagement with Chinese officials on market access. On Aug. 30 in Shanghai, Raimondo said she hoped to "see some results" in the next few months as a result of her four-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Aly, Raimondo, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, . Commerce, Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai, China, Washington, U.S, Beijing

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo attends a press conference at the Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services near the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, in Shanghai, China August 30, 2023. "China is making it more difficult," Raimondo told CBS's Face the Nation. "I was very clear with China that we need to - patience is wearing thin among American business. "They suggested that they didn't know about it and they suggested that it wasn't intentional," she told CNN. And certainly they're having real, real significant challenges in the real estate sector," she told Face the Nation.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Aly, China, Raimondo, CBS's, " Raimondo, Diane Bartz, Phil Stewart, Mary Milliken, Deepa Babington Organizations: Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, REUTERS, Garden Holdings, WASHINGTON, . Commerce, CNN, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai, China, Washington, Canada, Mexico, Beijing, Southeast Asia, U.S

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo talks to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Tuesday, August 29, 2023. "China is actively advancing its high-level opening-up and making efforts to provide a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework," he said. Asked what her message was to U.S. business in China, Raimondo said: "The message is to continue to do what you're doing. She is pressing China to take actions to improve business conditions. That sentiment was echoed by Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, who said "'uninvestible' is not a term we would use to describe China", instead describing it as "under-invested."

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Li Qiang, Andy Wong, Biden, Raimondo, Liu Pengyu, Michael Hart, Hart, Jens Eskelund, Chen Jining, Chen, Walt Disney, David Shepardson, Andrea Shalal, Nicoco Chan, Jason Xue, Joe Cash, Martin Quin Polland, Lun Tian, Laurie Chen, Sandra Maler, Robert Birsel Organizations: Commerce, of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Commerce, U.S . Commerce Department, Global, American Chamber of Commerce, European Union Chamber of Commerce, chipmaker Micron Technology, Micron, Shanghai, Shanghai Disneyland, Walt, Shendi Group, Boeing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights SHANGHAI, WASHINGTON, United States, Washington, Shanghai, U.S, New York

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo talks to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Tuesday, August 29, 2023. "China is actively advancing its high-level opening-up and making efforts to provide a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework," he said. Raimondo is in Shanghai on Wednesday for the last day of meetings before returning to the United States. Asked what her message was to U.S. business in China, Raimondo said: "The message is to continue to do what you're doing. Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said businesses had been "very clear" in making their concerns known to the Chinese government.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Li Qiang, Andy Wong, Biden, Raimondo, Liu Pengyu, Michael Hart, Hart, Chen Jining, Chen, Walt Disney, David Shepardson, Andrea Shalal, Chan, Jason Xue, Joe Cash, Martin Quin Polland, Tian, Sandra Maler, Robert Birsel Organizations: Commerce, of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Commerce, Commerce Department, Global, American Chamber of Commerce, chipmaker Micron Technology, Micron, Shanghai, Shanghai Disneyland, Walt, Shendi Group, Boeing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights SHANGHAI, WASHINGTON, United States, Washington, Shanghai, U.S, New York

☆ US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urges American businesses to keep investing in China (Analysis)
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urged American businesses to keep investing in China on Wednesday, even after saying some US firms had called the world’s second biggest economy “uninvestable.”Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce event in Shanghai, the secretary encouraged companies to continue expanding in the country. “The message is to continue to do what you’re doing,” Raimondo told executives. Eric Zheng, president of AmCham Shanghai, told CNN after Raimondo’s appearance that he had not been hearing the term “uninvestable” from businesses on the ground. “In order to be globally competitive, they have to be in this market despite all the challenges.”Warm wordsRaimondo is the first US commerce secretary to visit China in five years. Andy Wong/APThe issue highlights the tightrope the commerce secretary is walking.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, ” Raimondo, Raimondo, Aly Song, ”, Wang Wenbin, Li Qiang, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Eric Zheng, Andy Wong, Wang Wentao, Lifeng, Yellen, Foreign busineses, Chen Jining, Nazak Nikakhtar, Trump, Zheng, “, —, Jadyn Sham, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — US, American, of, Reuters, Shanghai, Biden, CNN, Covid, US Commerce Department, US Department of Commerce, Foreign, Department, Department of Commerce Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Beijing, United States, decouple, “

☆ Commerce chief says US firms complain China is 'uninvestible'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Premier Li Qiang have a light moment during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, August 29, 2023. "Increasingly I hear from American business that China is uninvestible because it's become too risky," she said. Raimondo insists the United States does not want to decouple from China. The United States and China used to be each other's largest trading partners but Washington now trades more with neighbors Canada and Mexico, while Beijing deals more with Southeast Asia. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics"All of that creates uncertainty and unpredictability," Raimondo said of recent Chinese actions.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Li Qiang, Andy Wong, Raimondo, it's, Biden, John Ramig, Buchalter, Raimondo's, Mintz, JP Morgan, " Raimondo, David Shepardson, Joe Cash, Samuel Shen, Clarence Fernandez, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis, Nick Macfie Organizations: . Commerce, of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S, chipmaker Micron Technology, Beijing, Companies, Micron, Intel, Boeing, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai, Washington, United States, U.S, Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia

☆ US companies in China struggle with raids, slow deal approvals, anti-espionage law
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo delivers her speech at a reception with U.S. Industry and Chinese Government Officials hosted by U.S. Ambassador to China Nick Burns, in Beijing, China, August 28, 2023. Below are details on some of the bigger hurdles for doing business in China in recent years. Counterespionage law:Chinese lawmakers passed a wide-ranging update to Beijing's anti-espionage legislation in April, banning the transfer of any information related to national security and broadening the definition of spying. The law does not define what falls under China's national security or interests.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, China Nick Burns, Andy Wong, Mintz, Raimondo, Chris Sanders, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: . Commerce, . Industry, Government, U.S, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Bain, Capvision Partners, Beijing Municipal Bureau, Statistics, China's, Intel Corp, chipmaker Semiconductor, DuPont De Nemours Inc, Rogers Corp, Xinhua, chipmaker Micron Technology, Beijing, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai, United States

☆ The US needs a stable Chinese economy. Will Biden’s commerce secretary offer help?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will travel to China next week, a visit that coincides with a worsening slowdown in the world’s second largest economy. Gina Raimondo, US commerce secretary, speaks during the SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The Commerce Department announced on Monday that it was removing 27 Chinese companies from US export controls. China’s Ministry of Commerce welcomed the decision, saying it was conducive to trade and reflected the interests of both sides. That was followed earlier this month by President Biden signing an executive order that limits US investment in certain tech sectors of the Chinese economy, including AI and quantum computing.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, ”, Craig Singleton, Ting Shen, Trump, Biden, “, Washington, Donald Trump, It’s, Xi, Singleton, — Kylie Atwood, Jeremy Diamond Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — US, Washington, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Commerce Department, Beijing, SelectUSA Investment, Bloomberg, Getty, China’s Ministry of Commerce, ” Eurasia Group, Apple, Nike, Intel, Microsoft, General Motors, US Treasury Department, Mintz Group, Bain & Company, Communist Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Washington, Shanghai, National Harbor , Maryland, United States, Europe, Japan, New York, court

Dentons, the largest Western law firm in China in terms of staff, said yesterday it would separate from Dacheng, its unit there. The two firms merged in 2015, and Dentons even added Chinese characters to its logo to signal its commitment to the country. That made it impossible to follow legal industry standards and best practice, a person familiar with Dentons’ decision-making told DealBook. “Standards are diverging between China and Western economies,” Eswar Prasad, a trade policy professor at Cornell and a former head of the I.M.F.’s China division, told DealBook. Employees at financial firms operating in China have reportedly been forced to attend lessons in the ideology of President Xi Jinping.

Persons: Dentons, DealBook, Eswar Prasad, “, Xi Jinping Organizations: Cornell Locations: China, Western, ’, Sequoia

☆ Fitch US credit downgrade: Former Treasury secretaries react
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US economy is resilient, but policymakers need to take the long view on the country’s fiscal challenges, three former Treasury secretaries told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday. “But it’s in some ways a very important wake-up call.”The downgrade came after a last-minute bipartisan deal in June that suspended the US debt ceiling until early 2025. I strongly disagree with Fitch’s decision, and I believe it is entirely unwarranted,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is preparing new rules that could restrict investment in certain sectors in China, according to reports. When asked about US-imposed tariffs on China, Paulson said “we are working to close markets at the same time that China is doing business with more and more of the world.”“China is a major, major competitor,” he added.

Persons: CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, ” “, ”, Henry Paulson, George W, Bush, Janet Yellen, Paulson, “, ” Timothy Geithner, Geithner, ’, ” Robert Rubin, Bill Clinton, Zakaria, Biden, –, Jennifer Hansler, Gan, Juliana Liu Organizations: CNN, Fitch, AAA, Treasury Department, Capitol, Poor’s Locations: United States, China

☆ The women behind the Manhattan Project that Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer' completely ignored
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Nolan's "Oppenheimer" fails to highlight the women who helped make the Manhattan Project possible. Here are the stories of just six of the hundreds of women that made essential contributions to the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. Hornig first arrived at Los Alamos after Manhattan Project officials tapped her husband to join the effort. Los Alamos National LaboratoryCharlotte SerberCharlotte Serber first went to Los Alamos with her husband, a physicist, in 1942. Los Alamos National LaboratoryMaria Goeppert MayerTheoretical physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer contributed to the development of nuclear fission while working at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, and visiting Los Alamos from time to time.

Persons: Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Lilli Hornig, Charlotte Serber, Nolan, Hornig, Lilli Hornig's, Alamos National Laboratory Charlotte, Serber, Charlotte Serber's, Alamos National Laboratory Floy Agnes, Naranjo Stroud, Lee Floy Agnes, Lee, — Lee, Louis Slotin, Joan Hinton Joan Hinton, Hinton, Harry Daghlian, Joan Hinton, Reuters Elizabeth Graves Elizabeth Graves, Graves, Henry Barschall, Elizabeth Graves, Alamos National Laboratory Maria Goeppert Mayer, Maria Goeppert Mayer, Sarah Lawrence, Mayer, Edward Teller, Sharon McGrayne, Marie Curie Organizations: Manhattan, Service, Manhattan Project, Trinity Test, Hornig, Alamos National Laboratory, Sun, University of New, University of Chicago, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, University of Wisconsin, Los Alamos, Trinity, New York Times, Reuters, US Department of Energy, Columbia University, Sarah, Sarah Lawrence College Locations: Wall, Silicon, Los Alamos , New Mexico, Los Alamos, United States, Berlin, Germany, New Mexico, Japan, Santa Fe, University of New Mexico, Santa Clara Pueblo, Hiroshima, Nagaski, China, Beijing, Alamos, Los, —

[1/2] A participant applies rainbow coloured facepaint before a 5.17 km run to mark International Day Against Homophobia in a park in Beijing, China, May 17, 2018. Thirteen diplomats from nine Western and Asian delegations said that the challenges they face when arranging events about gender equality and LGBT issues, or broader cultural activities, showed how China's red lines have shifted. Some recent Chinese actions around foreign missions drew widespread attention, including a warning from authorities aimed at embassies displaying Ukraine flags. Three diplomats told Reuters the incident had made them more careful about meeting with civil society figures. "A case could be made that the intentional disruption of embassy activities violates one or the other of these provisions, if not both," he said.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Xi, Guy Saint, Jacques, Peter Stano, Yaqiu Wang, Wang, Yu Wensheng, Xu Yan, Joseph Klingler, Foley Hoag, Laurie Chen, Yew Lun Tian, Brenda Goh, Engen Tham, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, China's Foreign Ministry, Vienna Convention, Diplomatic Relations, of Public Security, Europe, UNESCO, United Nations, Coordinator's, Beijing LGBT Center, Human Rights Watch, Police, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, SHANGHAI, Canada, Vienna, Ukraine, Western, Joseph Klingler , Washington, Shanghai

During her first day of meetings in Beijing, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen criticized punitive measures the Chinese government has taken against American firms. I’ve made clear that the United States does not seek a wholesale separation of our economies. Ms. Yellen conveyed her objections to China’s top officials, including Premier Li Qiang, in what was the first visit to China by a Treasury secretary in four years. A Treasury Department official said Ms. Yellen had discussed the outlook for the economy in an informal discussion with her former counterparts that lasted more than an hour. “The United States will, in certain circumstances, need to pursue targeted actions to protect its national security,” Ms. Yellen said.

Persons: Janet L, Yellen, I’ve, Biden, Yellen’s, Li Qiang, Ms, “ I’ve, Mark Schiefelbein, Wang Yong, Wang, ”, Shi Yinhong, “, China’s, Michael Hart, “ We’ve, Mr, Hart, Liu He, Yi Gang, Li, Li’s, ” Claire Fu, Christopher Buckley Organizations: U.S, American Chamber of Commerce, Boeing, Bank of America, Cargill, Group, Bain & Company, Beijing, Biden, of, People, ., Center for American Studies, Peking University, “, Renmin University, U.S . State Department, Chamber of Commerce, Treasury, People’s Bank of China, Treasury Department Locations: Beijing, United States, China, American, Shanghai, U.S, States

☆ Yellen's China visit aims at 'new normal' with Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese officials are concerned about the Biden administration's plans to limit U.S. companies' China investments and what they see as moves to decouple the two economies. "There is no substitute for diplomacy," said one senior administration official. "Secretary Yellen’s trip is more than a step toward preparation for a potential Biden-Xi meeting at APEC. Despite the cooling relations, trade between the U.S. and China grew in 2022 for the third year in a row, U.S. Commerce Department data show. Two other Cabinet secretaries, Commerce chief Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, met in May with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

Persons: Janet Yellen's, Biden, COVID lockdowns, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, Wu Xinbo, Yellen's, Gina Raimondo, Derek Scissors, Yellen, Russia's Wagner, Joe Biden, Xi, Scott Kennedy, Jake Colvin, Donald Trump, Colvin, Lifeng, Liu He, Raimondo, Katherine Tai, Wang Wentao, Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina, Lun Tian Yew, Dan Burns, Heather Timmons, Andrea Ricci Organizations: . Treasury, China's Fudan University, American Enterprise Institute, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Biden, APEC, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign Trade, . Commerce Department, Treasury, . Trade, Chinese Commerce, Thomson Locations: China, Russia, U.S, Beijing, Ukraine, United States, Asia, San Francisco, Washington, Zurich, Wang Wentao .

☆ Treasury's Yellen to visit China this week to expand communications
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China protested loudly when Biden subsequently referred to Xi as a "dictator," but analysts say the remark had little impact on efforts to improve ties. "We seek a healthy economic relationship with China, one that fosters growth and innovation in both countries," the official said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to give details on which Chinese officials Yellen would meet in Beijing. A second administration official told Reuters that Yellen was expected to meet the Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Yellen would underscore Washington's determination to strengthen its own competitiveness while responding with allies to what Washington calls "economic coercion" and unfair economic practices by China, the first official said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, Yellen, Andrea Shalal, Ross Colvin, Nick Zieminski Organizations: . Treasury, Treasury, Washington, Reuters, Micron Technology, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, U.S

☆ Yellen to Visit China in Bid to Steady Economic Ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Alan Rappeport | Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

At the same time, China has frustrated the United States with its reluctance to renegotiate the terms of loans it is owed by poor countries facing default and has maintained close economic ties with Russia despite that country’s invasion of Ukraine. A senior Treasury Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the priorities for the trip, said on Sunday that Ms. Yellen would meet with top Chinese officials and American companies doing business in China. The official said that Ms. Yellen would talk to her Chinese counterparts about global challenges and mutual areas of concern. The Treasury secretary is expected to raise objections to China’s recent ban aimed at Micron Technology, the U.S.-based manufacturer of memory chips used in phones, computers and other electronics. American officials are also hoping to gain a better understanding of the scope of China’s new counterespionage law, which could present new challenges for foreign companies.

Persons: Biden, Yellen Organizations: Treasury Department, Treasury, Micron Technology, Micron Locations: China, United States, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Xinjiang

☆ US warns new Chinese counterespionage law puts companies at risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. on Friday warned about a new Chinese counter-espionage law, saying American and other foreign companies in the country could face penalties from Chinese authorities for regular business activities. Chinese lawmakers this year passed a wide-ranging update to Beijing's anti-espionage legislation that goes into effect on July 1, banning the transfer of any information related to national security and broadening the definition of spying. It said the ambiguities of the law meant that "any documents, data, materials or items" could be deemed relevant to Chinese national security, also putting journalists, academics and researchers at risk. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has emphasized national security since taking office in 2012. U.S. officials have told Reuters that since the enactment of the Chinese law in April they have received a flood of questions from businesses and other groups about the risks of traveling to China.

Persons: Xi Jinping, China Nicholas Burns, Michael Martina, Chizu Organizations: U.S . National Counterintelligence and Security, People's, U.S, China, U.S ., Reuters, The U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Washington, The

Hong Kong CNN —China’s state security authorities raided multiple offices of international advisory firm Capvision, state media reported Monday, part of a broader crackdown on the consulting industry as Beijing tightens control over what it considers sensitive information related to national security. The consultancy firm, which is headquartered in Shanghai and New York, adds to a growing list of global consulting companies that have been ensnared in Beijing’s widening crackdown on what it perceives as national security risks. In the report, Capvision was singled out as a “leading company” in the industry. According to state security police, he downloaded 5,000 documents from his state-owned company’s internal network. The authorities said he had provided clients with six pieces of information that were classified as state secrets, CCTV said.

☆ It's riskier than ever to be a foreign business in China, as evidenced by a series of recent sanctions, detentions, and an updated anti-espionage law that has watchdogs on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The updated law doesn't clearly define what constitutes China's national security or interests. The new law follows a recent spate of sanctions, probes, and detentions into foreign firms in China. Even now, the terms relating to national security and interest are still "not explicitly defined," the Eurasia Group wrote. The updated law is also particularly concerning because of the recent developments surrounding foreign firms in China. China's recent crackdown on foreign businesses is spurring concernsIn April, Chinese police questioned staff at American consultancy Bain in Shanghai.

But a drumbeat of government security measures, including a broadening of counterespionage laws, and unannounced visits by investigators to the Chinese offices of several foreign firms have sent a shiver of worry that under Xi Jinping, economic pragmatism could again give way to a heightened focus on state control. International consulting and advisory firms are among those that have faced questioning from Chinese security officers in recent weeks, adding to fears among foreign investors that the authorities may be trying to choke off their access to unvarnished information about markets, competitors and potential deals in China. The scrutiny has left some companies questioning whether their China operations are at risk. Officers visited the Shanghai office of Bain & Company, a major American consulting firm, and questioned employees, Bain said in late April. And the Mintz Group, an American company specializing in corporate investigations, said in late March that officials visited its Beijing office and detained five Chinese employees.

Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said on Tuesday Washington was very concerned about China's recent "punitive" action toward some U.S. companies, and that foreign firms are delaying investments in the country due to uncertainty about the openness of its economy. "If you put that together with some of the punitive actions that the government here in Beijing has taken against several American companies recently, we're very concerned about this," Burns said, adding: "We intend to have a full discussion with the government here about it." China's foreign ministry said at the time Mintz was suspected of engaging in unlawful business operations. Burns said a lot of foreign firms were delaying making major investments until they could see some consistency in messaging from China. He said he had warned American companies to carefully abide by a U.S. law that prohibits importing goods from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about forced labor by Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities.

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