2023-07-04 11:45:00
Two days before the arrival of the American Secretary of the Treasury, China is playing the card of good relations with the United States. The Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, met her on Tuesday July 4 before her departure. “We hope that the United States and China will each take a step towards each other” et “will take steps to remove obstacles and manage their differences in order to strengthen dialogue and cooperation”, he pleaded at the end of this interview, according to comments reported by Chinese television CCTV.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to visit China this week
Washington for its part described the discussion as “open and productive”. The meeting enters “ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage bilateral relations” despite the differences, said Janet Yellen, quoted in a press release from the Treasury Department.
A move for stabilize relationships »
Janet Yellen will then travel from Thursday to Sunday to China to meet with Chinese officials. “We do not expect any significant breakthrough (in relations between the two countries) from this trip,” However, a Treasury Department official said this week.
“On this trip, we want to deepen and strengthen the frequency of communication between our countries and stabilize relations, to avoid misunderstandings and expand our collaboration where possible,” explained a member of the Treasury Department.
Relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated notoriously due in particular to disputes in commercial exchanges once morest a backdrop of technological rivalry. The US administration of President Joe Biden last year imposed export restrictions on US semiconductors and technology components to China. It also maintains customs surcharges imposed by the former administration of Donald Trump on hundreds of billions of dollars of products exported by China to the United States.
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The US government first seeks to “to preserve its national security interests as well as those of its allies”, Janet Yellen said in April. Stating nevertheless that the United States also wants to establish “healthy economic relations with China, which foster growth and innovation” in both countries.
China also imposes its measures
The Middle Kingdom, which seeks to become autonomous in the design of semiconductors, believes for its part that these measures aim to maintain American supremacy in this highly strategic field. It also drew its own measures on Monday by announcing the imposition of restrictions on exports of two rare metals of which it is the main producer and essential for semiconductors.
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So, from August 1, exports of gallium and germanium will require a license before they can be allowed, according to a guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce and China Customs. The final recipient of the exports and the purpose of their use will have to be specified, adds the text.
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Gallium, which is found in integrated circuits, LEDs and photovoltaic panels in particular, is considered a critical raw material, according to the European Union. China accounted for 80% of gallium production according to a 2020 report by the European Commission. As for germanium, essential for optical fibers and infrared, 80% of the production of this element also comes from China, according to the same document.
The communiqué justifies these measures by the need to “preserving national security and interests”.
(With AFP)
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