In a recent dialogue, US representatives voiced concerns over trade and market access barriers facing American businesses in discussions with their Chinese counterparts, as announced by the US Commerce Department. The dialogue covered several key issues, including the transfer of cross-border data and the need for greater regulatory clarity.
For years, Washington has been vocal about the challenges US companies face when trying to enter the Chinese market, citing restrictive practices.
The inaugural session of a working group dedicated to commercial issues, established last year, was convened on Thursday. This important meeting was co-chaired by Marisa Lago, the US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, and Wang Shouwen, the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce.
During the meeting, Lago also expressed significant concerns about the increasing surplus capacity in various Chinese industrial sectors, which poses a threat to US workers and enterprises.
Despite these challenges, US and Chinese officials have maintained open lines of communication in recent months. A notable conversation took place between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, marking their first direct communication since their last encounter in November.
In their discussion, the topic of the US's efforts to restrict exports of certain technologies to China, including advanced semiconductors, was broached. President Xi cautioned President Biden that the US's actions were not mitigating risks but rather generating new ones by hindering China's trade and technological advancement and by adding more Chinese entities to the US sanctions list.
The White House disclosed that President Biden addressed issues with Xi regarding what he described as China's "unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices."
