US to meet China in Washington to tackle thorny issues

[Gerald]

The US has said it will press China again on its currency policy

Top US and Chinese officials will be meeting for two days in Washington, starting this Monday.

The heads of 16 US government agencies and representatives from 20 Chinese government departments will discuss the most difficult issues in a complex, interdependent relationship.

The annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue comes just four months after bilateral discussions between President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao.

It is not thought any concrete results will emerge from this meeting - rather, each side is hoping to influence the other's point of view.

That has meant a string of statements and briefings on issues from the yuan exchange rate to protectionism, America's budget deficit and China's human rights record from leaders on both sides.

Perhaps the most influential business group in America, the US Chamber of Commerce, says it is most worried about reduced access for American businesses to China's vast market.

According to Myron Brilliant, senior vice-president for international affairs: "It is more difficult to do business in China than it was five years ago."

In particular, the chamber says China's "indigenous innovation" policy tilts the playing-field in favour of Chinese firms, and hurts American businesses.

US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said ahead of the US-Chinese meeting that US firms in China "are frequently shut out of sectors or forced to share their technology to gain market access".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13326442


Note: 9 May 2011 Last updated at 01:46 GMT

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Vendor

According to Myron Brilliant, senior vice-president for international affairs: "It is more difficult to do business in China than it was five years ago."

In particular, the chamber says China's "indigenous innovation" policy tilts the playing-field in favour of Chinese firms, and hurts American businesses.

What he means is it's more difficult to get the red carpet treatment than it was five years ago. Not so long ago in China, Western business executives traveling to the provinces could expect a hearty welcome and a banquet with endless toasts. Now, you get the cold shoulder as China is trying to build up it's domestic enterprises.

The Chinese look across the landscape of their economy today and see much that could be improved. After 30 years serving as the workshop of the world, mainly producing low-value goods for foreign brands and distant markets, they want to move up the value chain much as japan did in the 1960s. In addition, China has emerged from the global financial crisis largely unscathed. As a result, the Chinese look at the rest of the world and feel a lot less awe and admiration than they once did.

They help create this behemoth and seem surprised it won't play ball anymore. Time to go elsewhere if you want your goods made cheaper, guys.

[Oberon]

China has to increase domestic demand or it will fall apart. There needs to be a strong effort to reduce the gap between the coast and the inland within the next ten years or there is a risk of a second revolution.

[Gerald]

Like, the most beneficial course China, it feels like, and they will have more problems in the long run, when the industry and growth and inflation targets are not up to scratch.

[Gerald]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13338859

[Tchocky]

Originally Posted by Vendor

According to Myron Brilliant....

Whatever Mr Brilliant says....

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Whatever Mr Brilliant says....

Possible that Myron could affect your pay indirectly in a positive way,

[Torplexed]

A cautionary tale about doing business in China lately. Basically the Fellowes company, who make paper shredders and office products got their entire factory stolen lock, stock and barrel from under them.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/chin...ina-54204.html

There are few paper shredders in the world that can rip an A4 piece of paper into 2,000 pieces, and come with functions like SilentShred, SafeSense, and “100% Jam Proof”—and most that do have the name “Fellowes” printed on top. But consumers may soon be able to buy, say, the deluxe Powershred C-480Cx, without the Fellowes brand, because the company’s entire business in China has been stolen by its joint venture partner.

Over 1,600 workers at the joint venture facility in China turned up one day in August last year to find that the factory gates were locked, trucks had blockaded the entrances, and a group of rough-and-ready enforcers were telling them to move on.

What too often what happens once you set up and are successful in China is that the Chinese either steal your designs and intellectual property and start producing a competing line of products in their own factories, or they do what happened here, where they literally steal the entire contents of the manufacturing facility.

That's not a private action - it's undertaken with the explicit consent and involvement of the government. A business license is, of course, a government-controlled thing. Your politically-connected "joint venture" partner suddenly becomes you blood enemy and rips off everything you had in their nation. Then, having effectively frozen your operation, you get sued by your suppliers who you can't pay (since you can't ship the product) and the Chinese strip the carcass of whatever you were dumb enough to locate in their nation to the bone.

The ironic thing is that Fellowes is trying to start up again--in Illinois. Maybe if they had never left.

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by Vendor

According to Myron Brilliant, senior vice-president for international affairs...

It must be hard to be humble...