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☆ US investors flag retaliation risks after Biden's China tech curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But several portfolio managers said the bigger worry was whether China would strike back, as it has in the past. "It is naïve to think that there won't be some type of retaliation from China," said Tom Plumb, CEO of mutual fund Plumb Funds. China could restrict exports of rare earths used in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and other components, or target other U.S. technology companies, Plumb said. SELF-SUFFICIENCYChina hawks in Washington say American investors have transferred capital and valuable know-how to Chinese technology companies that could help advance Beijing's military capabilities. Phillip Wool, a co-portfolio manager of Rayliant Quantamental China Equity ETF, said U.S.-China tensions were causing investors to miss out on China growth.

Persons: Florence Lo, Joe Biden's, Biden, Rick Meckler, Tom Plumb, Plumb, Michael Ashley Schulman, Phillip Wool, Shashwat Chauhan, Amruta, Chibuike Oguh, Laura Matthews, Herbert Lash, Davide Barbuscia, Michelle Price, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Cherry Lane Investments, China Exchange, Wall, Micron Technology, U.S, Funds, Reuters, Running, Capital Advisors, China Equity, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Beijing, New Jersey, Washington, Rayliant

"The situation is already very bad for dollar-based funds to invest in China's tech sector. There isn't much room for things to get worse," said Beijing-based China Growth Capital partner Wayne Shiong. Biden's move will likely make China-focussed venture capital firms feel more urgency to raise yuan funds from Chinese investors, he said. In response to Biden's executive order, China's commerce ministry said it was "gravely concerned" and reserved the right to take countermeasures. But the executive order is barely going to do anything, and China escalating would risk turning a molehill into a mountain."

Persons: Florence Lo, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, Weiheng Chen, Wilson Sonsini, Biden, Chen, Wayne Shiong, Biden's, Yuan, Pan, Trump, Derek Scissors, Kane Wu, Michael Martina, Roxanne Liu, Ziyi Tang, Yantoultra, Sumeet Chatterjee, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Reuters Graphics Reuters, China Growth Capital, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, TECH, Hua Hong Semiconductor, Analysts, American Enterprise Institute, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, Beijing, Washington, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bengaluru

India's defence ministry did not respond to Reuters questions. The U.S. Congress in 2019 banned the Pentagon from buying or using drones and components made in China. India has set aside 1.6 billion rupees ($19.77 billion) for military modernisation in 2023-24, of which 75% is reserved for domestic industry. But the ban on Chinese parts has raised the cost of making military drones locally by forcing manufacturers to source components elsewhere, government and industry experts said. Sameer Joshi, founder of Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research and Technologies, a supplier of small drones for India's military, said 70% of goods in the supply chain were made in China.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Sameer Joshi, Joshi, Dilip, ADE, Nirmala Sitharaman, Narang, Krishn Kaushik, Joe Cash, David Crawshaw, YP Rajesh Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Congress, Pentagon, Research, Technologies, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies, Finance, YP, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, China, Delhi, cyberattacks, Beijing, Bengaluru, Polish

☆ Factbox: China's measures to slow yuan depreciation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Coins and banknotes of China's yuan are seen in this illustration picture taken February 24, 2022. The informal instruction, or the so-called window guidance, was meant to slow the pace of yuan depreciation, the sources said. China's yuan has lost 3.6% against the dollar to 7.16 per dollar, becoming one of the worst performing Asian currencies. ** July 20, 2023China's major state-owned banks were seen selling dollars to buy yuan in the offshore spot market in early Asian trades, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. ** June 29, 2023China's major state-owned banks were seen selling dollars for yuan in the onshore spot foreign exchange market, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Persons: Florence Lo, Winni Zhou, Vidya Ranganathan, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, People's Bank of China, prudential, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China

☆ China curbs exports of drone equipment amid U.S. tech tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 31 (Reuters) - China on Monday announced export controls on some drones and drone-related equipment, saying it wanted to safeguard "national security and interests" amid escalating tension with the United States over access to technology. The restrictions on equipment including some drone engines, lasers, communication equipment and anti-drone systems would take effect on Sept. 1, the commerce ministry said. The controls would also affect some consumer drones, and no civilian drones could be exported for military purposes, a ministry spokesperson said in a statement. China has a big drone manufacturing industry and exports to several markets including the U.S.U.S. lawmakers have said that more than 50% of drones sold in the U.S. are made by Chinese-based company DJI, and they are the most popular drone used by public safety agencies. The drone export curbs come after China announced export controls of some metals widely used in chipmaking last month, following moves by the United States to restrict China's access to key technologies, such as chipmaking equipment.

Persons: DJI, Mark Potter Organizations: Monday, Authorities, U.S . U.S, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, United States, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, chipmaking

☆ China has announced a slew of measures to bolster its economy. Here's what we know so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here are some of the key measures released by the Chinese government in recent weeks. Private businessesOn Monday, China's economic planning agency announced a series of measures to promote private investment. Julian Evans-Pritchard Capital EconomicsThe NDRC said it will support private investment in sectors — such as transportation, water conservancy, clean energy, new infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and modern agriculture facilities. The agency is also encouraging private investment projects to issue real estate investment trusts (REITS) in the infrastructure sector to promote asset diversification and further broaden investment and financing channels for private investment. Business sentiment has generally soured amid lackluster economic growth after China's initial recovery following its exit from "zero Covid" faltered.

Persons: Julian Evans, Pritchard Organizations: Afp, Getty, China, Private, Communist Party, National Development, Reform, Pritchard Capital, People's Bank of China, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, China Economics, Capital Economics, Household, Commerce Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai

☆ China says foreign trade faces 'extremely severe' situation, blames geopolitics for slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's Commerce Ministry on Wednesday said non-economic factors were growing and interfering with the country's foreign trade which was facing an "extremely severe" situation in the second half of this year. "Some countries' forceful push for 'decoupling,' 'severing [supply] chains' and so-called 'de-risking' are human-made obstacles blocking normal commerce," Li Xingqian, the head of the ministry's external trade department, said in Mandarin, according to a CNBC translation. He was speaking to reporters at a press conference about the ministry's work in the first half of the year. China's exports, a significant contributor to domestic growth, have plunged in recent months as global growth has slowed. He also said that since trade had risen during the three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, that had set a high base for this year's figures.

Persons: Li Xingqian, Li Organizations: BEIJING, China's Commerce Ministry, CNBC

☆ China's chip metal export curbs are 'a wake up call' for countries to diversify their supply chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Luisa Moreno, President of mining company Defense Metals Corp, expects China to further restrict metal exports which could include rare earths. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesChina's metal export curbs on gallium and germanium could spur some countries to diversify their supply chains away from China. Rare earths are essential for high-tech consumer products like smartphones and military equipment like radar systems. Rare earths make up a group of 17 elements composed of scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides. China also threatened to stop rare earths exports to the U.S. in 2019.

Persons: Luisa Moreno, Jakub Porzycki, Stewart Randall, Intralink, Randall, Brady Wang, Moreno, Counterpoint's Wang, Intralink's Randall, Ross Berntson Organizations: Defense Metals Corp, Nurphoto, Getty, CNBC, Alliance, Europe Commission, Counterpoint Research, Indium Corporation Locations: China, Shanghai, Europe, Japan

☆ The chip wars are heating up. This Chinese stock rose 30% in five days
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

China is starting to show what sway it has in the semiconductor supply chain, and stocks are only starting to react. About a week ago on July 3 , China's Commerce Ministry announced export restrictions on germanium and gallium would take effect on Aug. 1. WestSummit claims about 20 billion yuan ($2.77 billion) in assets under management. China's latest export curbs follow sweeping U.S. export restrictions in October to limit Chinese businesses' access to advanced semiconductor technology. One of Delta's investments, Shanghai New Vision Microelectronics, raised just over 1 billion yuan in an initial public offering on Shanghai's Star board on June 1.

Persons: Bo Du, Du, WestSummit, Greg Ye, Ye, Wei Jianguo, Wei didn't, Brian Tycangco, Tycangco Organizations: China's Commerce Ministry, . Geological Survey, WestSummit Capital Management, CNBC, Delta Capital, Shanghai New Vision Microelectronics, Shanghai's Star, Stansberry Research, Materials, Earth Holdings Locations: China, Yunnan, U.S, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Washington, Beijing

☆ Volkswagen ready to act amid China metal export curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowJuly 6 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday said it was monitoring the situation on the raw materials markets after China announced it would control exports of some metals, adding that it was "ready to take measures together with its partners if necessary". China's commerce ministry said earlier this month it would require export permits for eight gallium products and six germanium products from August 1 to protect national security. A Volkswagen spokesperson told Reuters that gallium and germanium were important resources for automotive products and played a role in future autonomous driving functions. Reporting by Jan Schwartz, Writing by Anna Mackenzie, Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jan Schwartz, Anna Mackenzie, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Volkswagen, China, Thomson

☆ China is restricting the export of two little-known metals crucial to the semiconductor industry. It shows Beijing still holds important chips in its tech war with the West.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China will restrict the exports of gallium and germanium — metals vital to chipmaking — from August 1. The export curb is seen as a retaliatory move by Beijing amid a chip war with the West. A recent move by China to restrict the export of two little-known metals has again sent the semiconductor industry into a tailspin. Exporters can apply for export licenses if they want to continue shipping the products out of China, per the notice. China accounts for about 80% and 60% of global gallium and germanium production, respectively, according to Critical Raw Materials Alliance, a European industry association.

Persons: —, Biden, Janet Yellen, haven't, Ewa Manthey, Europe — Organizations: Authorities, Morning, West, Wall Street, Eurasia Group, US, Industry, Reuters, Alliance, ING Locations: China, Beijing, Netherlands, United States, Japan, European, North America, Europe

☆ China's metal export curbs a 'warning' to US and its allies - Global Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, July 5 (Reuters) - China's move to restrict the exports of two metals crucial for making some types of semiconductors and electric vehicles is a warning that China will not be passively squeezed out of the global chips supply chain, the Global Times said. It also argued that China had for years exploited its own rare earth resources at the expense of the environment to supply the global semiconductor industry. "There's no reason for China to continue exhausting its own mineral resources, only to be blocked from pursuing technological development...," it said. China's abrupt announcement of controls from Aug. 1 on exports of the metals has ramped up a trade war with the United States and could potentially cause more disruption to global supply chains. Analysts saw the move, which the Chinese commerce ministry said was to protect national security, as a response to escalating efforts by Washington to curb China's technological advances.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Organizations: Global Times, U.S, Independence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, United States, Washington, Beijing

In 2022, top importers of China's gallium products were Japan, Germany and the Netherlands, news website Caixin said, citing customs data. Top importers of germanium products were Japan, France, Germany and the United States, it said. The buyers were anticipating it could take as long as two months to obtain export permits. Jefferies analysts said they saw the export controls as China's second and bigger countermeasure after the Micron ban. "If this action doesn't change the U.S.-China dynamics, more rare earth export controls should be expected."

Persons: Peter Arkell, Jeffries, Janet Yellen, Arkell, Caixin, Morris Young, Roy Lee, Amy Lv, Brenda Goh, Siyi Liu, Kentaro Sugiyama, Joyce Lee, Ben Blanchard, Melanie Burton, Tom Hogue Organizations: China, Companies, Global Mining Association of China, U.S, AXT Inc, Micron, Jefferies, ., Thomson Locations: China, Beijing BEIJING, SHANGHAI, United States, Washington, Beijing, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, France, Europe, Taiwan, South Korea, Yunnan, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Melbourne

☆ US firm AXT applying for permits after China restricts chipmaking exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

California-headquartered AXT, which has manufacturing facilities in China, said its Chinese subsidiary Tongmei would immediately proceed to apply for the permits. China's commerce ministry said on Monday it would control exports of eight gallium products and six germanium products from Aug. 1 to protect its national security and interests. Gallium is used in gallium nitride and gallium arsenide compound semiconductors for products ranging from power electronics to 5G base stations. In 2022, top importers of China's gallium products were Japan, Germany and the Netherlands, news website Caixin said, citing customs data. Top importers of germanium products are Japan, France, Germany and the United States.

Persons: Morris Young, AXT, Jefferies, Caixin, Brenda Goh, Tom Hogue Organizations: AXT Inc, U.S ., Micron, ., Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, . California, United States, Washington, U.S, Netherlands, Japan, Germany, France

☆ What are Gallium and Germanium? China curbs exports of metals critical to chips and other tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Germanium and gallium are the two metals in the spotlight. China's commerce ministry on Monday said that new regulations will require exporters of gallium and germanium to get a license to ship the metals. What are germanium and gallium used for? Gallium is used for manufacturing the gallium arsenide chemical compound, which can make radio frequency chips for mobile phones and satellite communication, for example. China produces 60% of the world's germanium and 80% of gallium, according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, an industry body.

Organizations: U.S, Micron, Alliance, CRM Alliance Locations: China, Europe, U.S, Beijing, Japan

☆ German industry urges reduced dependency after China export controls
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Chinese export restrictions "illustrate the urgency for Europe and Germany to quickly reduce their dependency on critical raw materials now," said Wolfgang Niedermark, a member of the BDI German industrial association. In a position paper, the group said that Germany's and Europe's dependency on mineral raw materials such as rare earths from China was "already greater than that of oil and natural gas from Russia". Another German industry group, Bitkom, called for steps to massively increase Germany and Europe's digital sovereignty . Last week, European Union member states adopted the Critical Raw Materials Act, a centrepiece of the EU strategy to ensure industry can compete with the United States and China. The BDI's Niedermark said that agreement to recycle and process raw materials sent an important signal but called for a similar push to establish domestic mining in Europe.

Persons: Wolfgang Niedermark, Bernhard Rohleder, Niedermark, Rachel More, Hakan Ersen, Madeline Chambers, Miranda Murray, Emelia Organizations: Union, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Europe, China, Germany, Russia, Berlin, Ukraine, Beijing, United States

☆ China slaps export curbs on chipmaking metals in tech war with the U.S, Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China is restricting the exports of gallium and germanium, two metals key to the manufacturing of semiconductors, its commerce ministry said in a statement late on July 3, escalating a technological trade war over access to microchips with Europe and the United States. China is restricting the exports of two metals key to the manufacturing of semiconductors, its commerce ministry said late Monday, escalating a technological trade war with Europe and the United States over access to microchips. These new regulations — imposed on grounds of national security — will require exporters to seek a license to ship some gallium and germanium compounds starting Aug. 1, China's commerce ministry said. Applications for these export licenses must identify importers and end users and stipulate how these metals will be used. Both are outperforming the 0.1% gain for the CSI 300 index of China's largest A-share listings.

Organizations: CSI Locations: China, Europe, United States, Yunnan, Shenzhen

☆ Elon Musk visits China's commerce ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk in Beijing, China, in this handout image released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs May 30, 2023. Tesla CEO Elon Musk kicked off his second day in China with a visit to the country's commerce ministry on Wednesday morning. A day earlier, he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Tesla and CATL did not respond to requests for comment on the meeting or on Musk's plans in China. He declined to comment at the hotel when questioned by reporters about the aim of his trip, Tesla's prospects in China and plans for Tesla's plant in Shanghai.

Persons: Qin, Elon, Elon Musk, Qin Gang, Zeng Yuqun, CATL, Musk, Tesla's, Grace Tao, Tom Zhu Organizations: Qin Gang, China's Ministry of Foreign, Foreign, CATL Locations: Beijing, China, Tesla's China, Shanghai, U.S

☆ China protests U.S. sanctioning of firms dealing with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Beijing on Saturday protested U.S. sanctions against additional Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade U.S. export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. "The U.S. should immediately correct its wrongdoing and stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," it added. However, Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Friday said China won't sell weapons to either side in the war, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide outright military assistance to Russia. "Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude," Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.

☆ China renews pledge for wider market access for foreign investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, March 16 (Reuters) - China's commerce ministry said on Wednesday it will continue to push for the relaxation of market access for foreign investors, renewing efforts to lure foreign capital as the world's second-largest economy emerges from three years of COVID disruptions. As China reopens after dropping its zero tolerance policy for COVID-19 in December, convincing foreign investors to return to China will help reinvigorate an economy that grew at its slowest rates last year in half a century. China will "help foreign companies seize the opportunity to deepen their presence in China," Shu Jueting, a commerce ministry spokesperson, told reporters. Shu told reporters that China will also "steadily expand institutional openness." China's fresh efforts to court foreign investors and businesses also came as global uncertainties, from wars to bank crises, push them to search for new safe havens.

☆ China opposes U.S. adding Chinese firms to trade blacklist
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, March 3 (Reuters) - China opposes the United States adding several Chinese firms to its trade blacklist, China's commerce ministry said on Friday. China urges the United States to stop using any excuse to suppress Chinese firms, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website. The U.S. Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, recently added two units of genetics company BGI (300676.SZ) to the export control list. Reporting by Meg Shen and Twinnie SiuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Such efforts to attract foreign investment come as the pandemic and geopolitical tensions push companies to diversify their supply chains away from China. The Commerce Ministry said Thursday that for the first time, it would launch events for an "Invest in China Year." Apple later said the Zhengzhou factory disruptions would delay deliveries of some iPhone 14 models. He also noted "serious challenges" to attracting foreign investment. Those include unfair competition with local players in China due to industrial policies, lack of legal protection for foreign business in China and geopolitical risks, Wang said.

Analysts expect China's oil imports to hit a record high in 2023 to meet increased demand for transportation fuel and as new refineries come on stream. China and India have become major buyers of Russian crude amid Western sanctions on Russian oil and more recently, embargoes and price caps because of the Ukraine war. In India, the world's third-biggest oil importer, crude imports rose to a six-month high in January, government data showed. Russia plans to cut oil production by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd), equating to about 5% of its output, in March after the West imposed price caps on Russian oil and oil products. Prices will move higher "as the market pivots back to deficit with underinvestment, shale constraints and OPEC discipline ensuring supply does not meet demand", they wrote.

Both crude benchmarks settled $2 down on Friday for a decline of about 4% over the week after the United States reported higher crude and gasoline inventories. Analysts expect China's oil imports to hit a record high in 2023 to meet increased demand for transportation fuel and as new refineries come on stream. China and India have become major buyers of Russian crude amid Western sanctions on Russian oil and more recently, embargoes and price caps because of the Ukraine war. Russia plans to cut oil production by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd), equating to about 5% of its output, in March after the West imposed price caps on Russian oil and oil products. Prices will move higher "as the market pivots back to deficit with underinvestment, shale constraints and OPEC discipline ensuring supply does not meet demand", they wrote.

☆ China imposes sanctions on Lockheed Martin, Raytheon over Taiwan arms sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Lockheed Martin is seen at Euronaval, the world naval defence exhibition in Le Bourget near Paris, France, October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Benoit TessierBEIJING, Feb 16 (Reuters) - China's commerce ministry on Thursday said it put Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N) onto an "unreliable entities list" over arms sales to Taiwan, its latest sanctions against the two U.S. defense contractors. The regulations prohibit Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missile and Defense Corporation, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, from "engaging in import and export activities related to China", according to the commerce ministry statement. China previously sanctioned the two firms in Feburary last year over a $100-million arms sale to Taiwan, a self-ruled island which Beijing views as a breakaway province. China's foreign ministry at the time said the sale "undermined China's security interests, seriously undermined China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".

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