Third U.S. Cabinet member to travel to Beijing. Chip embargo and export controls on raw materials possible topics.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo arrived in China on Sunday for a multi-day visit. According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) (paywall), she plans to meet with representatives from politics and U.S. companies that are active in the Asian country. The agenda will include sanctions on exporting advanced computer chips to China, which the United States initiated. The measures would apply only to a small number of products and serve to protect U.S. national security, Raimondo said ahead of her visit. Economic decoupling from China, she said, is not in her country’s interest; instead, “robust” economic relations should be maintained.
China responded to the chip sanctions by imposing export controls on the technology metals gallium and germanium, which has caused uncertainty internationally. This retaliatory measure is also likely on Raimondo’s agenda, the Cato Institute think tank told Voice of America.
The minister is the third Cabinet member to travel to the People’s Republic this summer. The goal of the diplomatic offensive is to prepare the ground for the summit meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November, according to the WSJ.
Photo: iStock/kritsapong jieantaratip
