U.S. commerce chief to be latest Cabinet official to visit China
By Jadenne Radoc Cabahug, contributing writer
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will visit China next week at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart to discuss the economic relationship between the two powerhouses, as Beijing tries to convince Washington to relax economic restrictions.
Raimondo will meet senior Chinese officials, including her counterpart, Wang Wentao, as well as U.S. business leaders in Shanghai and Beijing from Sunday through Wednesday. Her trip comes after several high profile visits this summer by U.S. Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury chief Janet Yellen and climate envoy John Kerry.
The commerce secretary decided to go forward with the visit despite reports that her department’s emails had been accessed by Chinese-based hackers.
The visit will focus on discussions “relating to the U.S.-China commercial relationship, challenges faced by U.S. businesses, and areas for potential cooperation, the department said in a news release.
Following the announcement, Raimondo held talks with Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng, with the pair agreeing that the meeting was "in-depth, pragmatic and constructive," and expressed the hope of maintaining communication, according to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy.
Noting the sluggish global economic recovery and multiple crises worldwide, the Chinese ambassador urged Washington to work together with Beijing.
"China and the United States are on the same planet and under the same blue sky,” he said. “Since we are all in the same boat, no country can remain insulated, let alone seeking profits at the expense of others. The right way is to work together and help each other out.”
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to block and regulate American investment in high-tech sectors like advanced computer chips, microelectronics, artificial intelligence and other technologies. This was the latest in a series of strict measures on tech investments and exports to China.
The Commerce Department recently announced it would remove 27 Chinese companies from earlier U.S. export controls, a move the Chinese Ministry of Commerce praised.
China’s economy has shown signs of trouble recently, with consumer prices falling amid a real estate crisis, record-high youth unemployment and slumping exports. The Chinese yuan has fallen to its lowest rate in 16 years.
Ahead of Raimondo’s visit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters not to anticipate policy shifts and that the trip would explain the new executive order.
“We are not sending Cabinet officials to China to change China, nor do we expect these conversations to change the United States,” Sullivan said when asked about the recent run of U.S. official visits to Beijing.
Raimondo will meet senior Chinese officials, including her counterpart, Wang Wentao, as well as U.S. business leaders in Shanghai and Beijing from Sunday through Wednesday. Her trip comes after several high profile visits this summer by U.S. Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury chief Janet Yellen and climate envoy John Kerry.
The commerce secretary decided to go forward with the visit despite reports that her department’s emails had been accessed by Chinese-based hackers.
The visit will focus on discussions “relating to the U.S.-China commercial relationship, challenges faced by U.S. businesses, and areas for potential cooperation, the department said in a news release.
Following the announcement, Raimondo held talks with Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng, with the pair agreeing that the meeting was "in-depth, pragmatic and constructive," and expressed the hope of maintaining communication, according to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy.
Noting the sluggish global economic recovery and multiple crises worldwide, the Chinese ambassador urged Washington to work together with Beijing.
"China and the United States are on the same planet and under the same blue sky,” he said. “Since we are all in the same boat, no country can remain insulated, let alone seeking profits at the expense of others. The right way is to work together and help each other out.”
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to block and regulate American investment in high-tech sectors like advanced computer chips, microelectronics, artificial intelligence and other technologies. This was the latest in a series of strict measures on tech investments and exports to China.
The Commerce Department recently announced it would remove 27 Chinese companies from earlier U.S. export controls, a move the Chinese Ministry of Commerce praised.
China’s economy has shown signs of trouble recently, with consumer prices falling amid a real estate crisis, record-high youth unemployment and slumping exports. The Chinese yuan has fallen to its lowest rate in 16 years.
Ahead of Raimondo’s visit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters not to anticipate policy shifts and that the trip would explain the new executive order.
“We are not sending Cabinet officials to China to change China, nor do we expect these conversations to change the United States,” Sullivan said when asked about the recent run of U.S. official visits to Beijing.