China-USA | First senior Chinese official visits Washington in Trump era

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi speaks during a conference in Hanoi

China is sending its first senior official to visit the United States since President Donald Trump took office, amid uncertainties over trade relations and new security tensions in east Asia.

The Foreign Ministry said State Councilor Yang Jiechi is scheduled to “exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of mutual concern” in meetings with high- ranking U.S. officials during his two-day visit.

Yang is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s top foreign policy adviser and a familiar face in Washington. He has served as foreign minister and ambassador to the U.S., presenting a degree of continuity in a relationship now seen as somewhat in flux.

His visit comes as the future direction of relations between the world’s two largest economies has grown more uncertain following Trump’s accusation that China was cheating at trade and threats to raise import tariffs.

Trump has also criticized China’s activities in the South China Sea, where it has built man-made islands with military features. He has suggested he might use Beijing’s rival Taiwan as leverage in negotiations and accused China of exerting too little pressure on communist neighbor North Korea to rein in its nuclear and missile programs.

China has responded in relatively mild terms and last week Premier Li Keqiang expressed hope that disputes with Trump’s government could be settled amicably, saying that a trade war would “benefit nobody.”

Trump has also appeared to moderate his approach, saying in a call with Xi earlier this month that his administration affirms Washington’s long-standing policy of not maintaining official ties with Taiwan and acknowledging China’s stance that the self-governing island is part of Chinese territory.

In a report out yesterday, the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property says the annual losses range from about USD225 billion to $600 billion. The theft of trade secrets alone costs the United States between $180 billion and $540 billion annually. Counterfeit goods cost the United States $29 billion to $41 billion annual; pirated software costs an additional $18 billion a year.

The findings echo those of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which in 2015 pegged the annual cost of economic espionage by computer hacking at $400 billion.

The commission labels China the world’s No. 1 culprit. Including Hong Kong, China accounts for 87 percent of counterfeit goods seized entering the United States. The report says the Chinese government encourages intellectual property theft.

The commission is led by former Republican presidential candidate and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who also served as U.S. ambassador to China, and Adm. Dennis Blair, a former director of U.S. national intelligence.

“The vast, illicit transfer of American innovation is one of the most significant economic issues impacting U.S. competitiveness that the nation has not fully addressed,” Huntsman said. “It looks to be, must be, a top priority of the new administration.” AP