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ICAS Bulletin (online ISSN 2836-3418, print ISSN 2836-340X) is published every other week throughout the year at 1919 M St NW, Suite 310, Washington, DC 20036.
The online version of ICAS Bulletin can be found at chinaus-icas.org/bulletins/.
– According to a top U.S. official, China has stopped potentially dangerous military actions in the air and sea since the Xi-Biden meeting in San Francisco.
– U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen announced that she would visit China in 2024. “A significant portion of the agenda will focus on discussing difficult areas of concern with my counterpart,” Yellen said.
– U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Michael Chase and China’s defense attaché Major General Liu Zhan of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. held talks after China halted military communications due to Chase’s visit to Taiwan earlier this year.
– According to U.S. security officials, hackers affiliated with the Chinese military have infiltrated various U.S. entities to disrupt U.S. logistics in case of a U.S.-China conflict in the Pacific.
– The U.S. State Department spokesperson announced that they were monitoring a docking of a Chinese military vessel in a Cambodian naval base. “We have serious concerns about the PRC’s plans for exclusive control over portions of Ream Naval Base,” the spokesperson said.
Associated News References:
“US Says China Curbs ‘Dangerous’ Military Acts After Xi Met Biden,” Bloomberg, December 19 [Paywall]
“Yellen to Visit China Again in 2024, Focusing on ‘Difficult’ Topics,” Bloomberg, December 14 [Paywall]
“US and China Defense Officials Are Talking Again,” Newsweek, December 14
“China’s cyber army is invading critical U.S. services,” The Washington Post, December 11 [Paywall]
“US monitoring reports of Chinese warships at Cambodian base,” Reuters, December 6
– U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen said former U.S. President Donald Trump’s China trade policies “left America more vulnerable and more isolated in a competitive global economy.”
– U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tsai defended U.S. tariffs against China, stating that “tariffs are a part of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship.”
– The U.S. Department of Commerce has removed the Chinese Ministry of Public Security’s Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) from its blacklist “because it impeded getting China’s cooperation on fentanyl.”
– The Biden administration said it may allow Nvidia, a U.S.-based software company, to sell some artificial intelligence chips to China but will not allow it to include its most advanced chips in these sales.
– IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said that global fragmentation of the economy into U.S. and China blocs may trigger a “new Cold War.”
– China’s e-commerce platform Temu has exceeded Shein in sales in the U.S., with Temu’s U.S. sales nearly tripling Shein’s in November 2023.
– China’s exports rose slightly in November, but not enough to reverse the current trade slump. Chinese exports rose 0.5% from a year ago, but overall trade has declined by 5%.
Associated News References:
“Janet Yellen says the Trump administration’s China policies left the US more vulnerable,” AP, December 14
“‘There’s no such thing as pure free trade’: Katherine Tai defends China tariffs,” Semafor, December 13
“China ‘not willing’ to cooperate on fentanyl crisis until institute was removed from blacklist, US official testifies,” South China Morning Post, December 13 [Paywall]
“US in talks with Nvidia about AI chip sales to China – Raimondo,” Reuters, December 12
“IMF’s Gopinath says economic fragmentation could cut global GDP by 7%,” Reuters, December 11
“Temu Extends Lead Over Shein in US as Shoppers Embrace a Bargain,” Bloomberg, December 7 [Paywall]
“China’s exports surprise with small growth — but not enough to shake off trade slump,” CNBC, December 6
– The U.S. Department of Commerce inquired into possibly limiting cloud service providers’ access to China to place export controls on artificial intelligence at a House Foreign Affairs Committee panel.
– A House Committee on China has called for the possibility of increasing tariffs on Chinese goods by placing China’s trade status into a new category.
– Various U.S. companies are lobbying to remove a law that banned most Chinese real estate investment in Florida, enacted by Governor Ron DeSantis.
– U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced that the U.S. will take the “strongest possible” action to protect its national security in response to Huawei’s new smartphone and its tech breakthroughs.
– U.S. lawmakers requested information from the U.S. Justice Department and FDA on what actions they are taking to stop the proliferation of e-cigarettes from China.
– A House committee released a report blaming the Biden Administration for failure to enforce export controls against China.
Associated News References:
“Lawmakers hear support for expanding authority to control China’s access to AI tech through the cloud,” Inside AI Policy, December 14
“House panel urges tougher trade rules for China, raising chance of more tariffs if Congress agrees,” AP, December 12
“Real Estate Titans Battle DeSantis Over China Property Crackdown,” Bloomberg, December 11 [Paywall
“Raimondo Vows ‘Strongest Possible’ Action on Huawei’s Chip Breakthrough,” Bloomberg, December 11 [Paywall]
“Lawmakers seek action against Elf Bar and other fruity e-cigarettes imported from China,” AP, December 8
“Lawmakers Press Biden Administration for Tougher Curbs on China Tech,” The New York Times, December 8 [Paywall]
– Chinese chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has released a paper detailing its developments on advanced gate-all-around transistors despite U.S. sanctions.
– Chinese chip designer Brite Semiconductor has evaded U.S. sanctions, even receiving funding from various U.S. entities, including a U.S. venture capital firm backed by Wells Fargo.
– According to research firm TechInsights, Huawei’s latest Mate 60 Pro smartphone indicates China’s “significant progress” in radio–frequency chips.
– Apple is working with Chinese supplier BYD to move product development resources for its iPad to Vietnam, away from China.
– The Chinese arm of McDonald’s will work with Huawei to develop an app for the next iteration of HarmonyOS, Huawei’s new operating system.
Associated News References:
“Tech war: China memory chip maker CXMT may have made a breakthrough amid US sanctions, paper indicates,” South China Morning Post, December 13 [Paywall]
“China chip firm powered by US tech and money avoids Biden’s crackdown,” Reuters, December 13
“Huawei Phone Shows China Is Replacing US Suppliers of 5G Tech,” Bloomberg, December 10 [Paywall]
“Apple to move key iPad engineering resources to Vietnam- Nikkei,” Reuters, December 8
“McDonald’s China pushes development of native apps based on HarmonyOS, as adoption of Huawei’s mobile operating system accelerates,” South China Morning Post, December 7 [Paywall]
– During discussions along the sidelines of the COP28 summit, the U.S. and China agreed to shift away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy. The summit highlighted that this shift should accelerate during this decade and become net-zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
– At the COP28 summit, China rejected signing a pledge to triple their renewable energy sources by 2030, citing a preexisting expansion in renewables.
– U.S. Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua, China’s Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, reportedly met privately during COP28 to negotiate a compromise.
– Xie told reporters on December 9 that COP28 negotiations would hinge upon his agreement with Kerry at the Sunnylands estate in California earlier in November on the sidelines of the APEC Summit.
Associated News References:
“Nations at COP28 Agree for First Time to Transition From Fossil Fuels,” The Wall Street Journal, December 13 [Paywall]
“India, China Break Ranks at COP28 on Target for Renewables,” Voice of America, December 13
“The Chinese and American Climate Negotiators Pushing for a Deal,” The Wall Street Journal, December 10 [Paywall]
“China’s Veteran Climate Chief Works With US to Clinch COP28 Deal,” Bloomberg, December 10 [Paywall]
“Map: 5.9-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northwestern China,” The New York Times, December 19 [Paywall]
“China curtails ‘dangerous’ fighter jet manoeuvres after Xi-Biden summit,” Financial Times, December 18 [Paywall]
“US concern over Mexico attracting Chinese electric vehicle factories,” Financial Times, December 17 [Paywall]
“Merle Goldman, a Leading Expert on Communist China, Dies at 92,” The New York Times, December 15 [Paywall]
“Pro-China YouTube Network Used A.I. to Malign U.S., Report Finds,” The New York Times, December 14 [Paywall]
“Oops. Joe Biden mixes up Chinese leaders, refers to Deng Xiaoping instead of Xi Jinping,” South China Morning Post, December 12 [Paywall]
“Taiwanese Pilot Planned CH-47 Defection To China: Reports,” The Drive, December 11
“China is hardening against dissent, rights groups say as they mark International Human Rights Day,” AP, December 10
“China won’t win trust of Japan and South Korea: Kurt Campbell,” Nikkei Asia, December 8 [Paywall]
“UAE’s top AI group vows to phase out Chinese hardware to appease US,” Financial Times, December 7 [Paywall]
“China Scores a Big Win in Race with US for Influence on the Moon,” Bloomberg, December 7 [Paywall]
US-China Global Maritime Relations (Routledge, 2024)
By Nong Hong
Release Date: January 1, 2024
This book explores the U.S.-China global maritime relationship, examining the development and implementation of the maritime strategies of both the United States and China.
Delving into the U.S.-China maritime relationship within the global context, the book investigates six key maritime regions: the South China Sea, the Northeast Asia waters (the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea), the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific Ocean, as well as the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Its observations form a comprehensive exploration of these regions and their significance in shaping the dynamics between the two nations, and this analysis reveals that an expanded view is necessary to discover and clearly display the role that these maritime regions currently—and could potentially—play in overarching U.S.-China relations.
Examining both the ongoing conflicts and opportunities for cooperation in the global maritime domain between the United States and China, this book will be a valuable resource to students and scholars of international relations, Chinese and U.S. politics, strategic studies, and maritime studies.
Visit by National Institute for South China Sea Studies Scholars with ICAS Staff
December 14, 2023
On Thursday, December 14, 2023, three scholars from the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) visited ICAS and discussed a variety of current topics in U.S.-China relations with ICAS researchers.
The NISCSS delegation was led by Mr. Wang Sheng (President, NISCSS), who was accompanied by Dr. Ding Duo (Deputy Director, Research Center for Oceans Law and Policy, NISCSS) and Dr. Hu Xin (Assistant Research Fellow, Research Center for Maritime Economy, NISCSS).
ICAS Staff Participate in Several Academic Exchanges in the State of Washington
December 11-12, 2023
From December 11-12, 2023, ICAS Executive Director Dr. Nong Hong engaged in academic discussions with various institutions in the State of Washington, which were facilitated through the invitation extended by the China Ocean Institute. Dr. Tabitha Grace Mallory (Founder and CEO of the China Ocean Institute and Affiliate Professor of the University of Washington Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies), Mr. Wang Sheng (President of China National Institute for South China Sea Studies–NISCSS), Dr. Ding Duo (Deputy Director, Research Center for Oceans Law and Policy, NISCSS), Dr. Hu Xin (Assistant Research Fellow, Research Center for Maritime Economy, NISCSS) and Ms. Amanda Jin (Part-Time Research Assistant, ICAS) also participated in the group visits and exchanges…
Visit by ROK MND officers with ICAS staff
December 7, 2023
On Thursday, December 7, 2023, a small delegation from the Republic of Korea Ministry of Defense visited with ICAS Senior Fellow Sourabh Gupta and Research Associate Jessica Martin to discuss current events at the ICAS office in Washington, D.C.
The discussion covered topics including perspectives on the general state of U.S.-China relations, the dynamic changes occurring in outer space relations and their potential security implications, the upcoming elections in Taiwan and the United States, and potential methods to achieve stability at the multinational level.
by Jacqueline Cheng
December 13, 2023
On December 11, 2023, the Hudson Institute held an event regarding the threat of Chinese intelligence operations against the United States. Furthermore, this event is part of a series that the Hudson Institute is hosting on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), titled “Beyond the SCIF.” The goal of this event is to analyze how China increasingly threatens the U.S. through intelligence activities which seek to influence lawmakers and public opinion to make them more favorable to China. Thus, the need arises for the U.S. to protect itself against China through various means.
Representative Mike Waltz (FL-6), a member of HPSCI moderated the panel, which included Hudson Institute senior fellows John Lee and Miles Yu, and Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies…
On Saturday, December 16, 2023, ICAS Distinguished Fellow Denis Simon talked about the rise of Chinese universities in an interview on CGTN.
On Thursday, December 14, 2023, Senior Fellow Sourabh Gupta was quoted in South China Morning Post on the US and support for Taiwan’s inclusion as observer at the World Health Assembly.
On Thursday, December 14, 2023, Senior Fellow Sourabh Gupta discussed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Vietnam on CGTN America’s China 24.
The Institute for China-America Studies is an independent nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to strengthening the understanding of U.S.-China relations through expert analysis and practical policy solutions.
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