Actions Speak Louder than Words—So Where’s the Action from the Commerce Department?

“Actions speak louder than words” was the refrain from Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on CBS’ Face the Nation last Sunday. Raimondo is referring to what she hopes to see from the Chinese government following her meetings in Beijing last week—not just promises of change, but concrete steps. The world shouldn’t hold its breath waiting for them. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can’t be trusted to uphold its promises—just ask the citizens of Hong Kong, who have seen their autonomy revoked in the last several years. Or maybe President Obama, to whom Xi Jinping made promises in 2015 that the CCP would stop militarizing the South China Sea. Or other nations in Asia, which are recently outraged after China released a… Read More

Biden Administration on China and Export Controls: Economic Cold War or Reflection of Reality?

As China Tech Threat readers very well know, the Biden administration issued long-awaited export controls in October designed to restrict the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) ability to purchase or manufacture high-end chips. Some have criticized the move as “a declaration of an economic cold war.” Daleep Singh, a former Biden administration Deputy National Security Adviser, is weighing in. Singh recently wrote in The Economist that “America is simply adapting to intensified competition for pre-eminence in the foundational technologies of our time.” We agree. From both national security and economic standpoints, Chinese dominance and superiority in the semiconductor space is dangerous, and the Biden administration has taken actions to prevent that from happening. Singh also calls for the Biden administration… Read More