China

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Japan this week to meet with his counterpart and other officials for discussions on a range of issues including digital trade, an area analysts say is ripe for the two countries to address in trying to counter China’s influence.

The panel’s chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), signaled last month that the issue would be a top priority.

Widespread, ongoing forced labor in the Xinjiang region in China – and of the Uyghur population in China writ large – is of a “scale and complexity” that presents challenges for trade enforcement rules and supply chain transparency, several stakeholders closely following the issue said on Thursday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced he will lead a high-level delegation to meet with Chinese counterparts in Alaska next week for a discussion about “a range of issues, including those where we have deep disagreements,” according to a State Department statement.

The U.S. needs “ingenuity” in policy making to counter China’s “government-backed rare-earth manufacturing industry,” the Florida Republican said.

China’s Ministry of Commerce this week issued guidance saying Beijing will promote initiatives that attract foreign investment in high-tech sectors as a means to strengthen its supply chains, suggesting a range of moves including tax concessions and the expansion of free trade zones but noting all investments must fit China’s national strategy.

As Chinese leaders meet this week to unveil the country’s political and economic agenda during its annual “Two Sessions,” China policy analysts are on the lookout for signals from Beijing about how it will implement a plan to become technologically self-reliant.

"This isn't a time for incremental steps. This is a time for bold action. This isn't the time for paralysis by analysis."

Chinese officials on Friday outlined aspects of Beijing’s plan to become technologically self-reliant, advancing its science and technology capabilities by focusing on enhancing semiconductor manufacturing, research and development policies and support of basic research.