China promises to protect foreign intellectual property as Trump threatens $60bn in tariffs
China made further promises to protect the intellectual property (IP) of foreigners investing in its economy, addressing a long-standing grievance as US President Donald Trump plans new tariffs aimed at Beijing. Speaking on Tuesday at the end of the annual National People’s Congress, premier Li Keqiang said China wants to avoid a trade war and that the government plans to further open the manufacturing sector — and that it won’t force foreign companies to transfer technology to domestic ones while doing so. Li’s comments followed reports late Monday in Washington that the White House plans to impose tariffs worth as much as $60bn on Chinese products as one outcome of an investigation by US trade representative Robert Lighthizer, extracting recompense for theft of IP and investment policies that make technology transfer a pre-condition for doing business in China. The administration is said to be considering wide-ranging tariffs on everything from consumer electronics to shoes and cl...
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