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Biden Administration Announces Increased Scrutiny of Foreign Investments in U.S.

  • Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Biden administration will increase scrutiny of investment plans by foreign-owned companies in the U.S.

  • The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) reviews and can block business deals involving foreign entities.

  • CFIUS is focused on new threats related to China and will increase compliance checks and audits.

  • In 2021, CFIUS reviewed 41 business deals that resulted in agreements to change the terms.

  • An executive order signed by Biden aims to limit high-tech investments in the U.S. by Chinese entities.

pbs.org
Relevant topic timeline:
Main Topic: The Biden administration's plan to issue an executive order restricting U.S. investment in high-tech industries in China. Key Points: 1. The executive order will target specific high-tech sectors in China, such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced semi-conductors. 2. The order is part of growing tensions between the U.S. and China. 3. The administration had previously delayed certain punitive economic measures against China but denies delaying actions for national security reasons.
Main topic: President Joe Biden's executive order on limiting American investment in certain Chinese tech firms. Key points: 1. The executive order aims to address national security concerns related to companies dealing with sensitive technologies like semiconductors, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence. 2. The order is narrowly targeted to bar funding of entities engaged in specific activities that pose acute national security risks. 3. This is not the first time the US has sought to limit the influence of Chinese tech firms, with previous restrictions on Huawei, supercomputing technology sales, and pressure on ByteDance to sell TikTok.
Main topic: Chinese startups could miss American know-how and intangible benefits due to restrictions on U.S. venture capital flowing to China. Key points: 1. President Biden signed an executive order to block American dollars from funding Chinese companies developing AI, semiconductor, and quantum computing technologies with military applications. 2. The proposed regulations would also restrict Chinese startups' access to intangible benefits offered by U.S. tech giants and venture capital firms, such as managerial assistance and access to talent networks. 3. While the restrictions may impact Chinese startups' access to American expertise, some investors believe that China's investment ecosystem has been attracting investors from other countries who can provide similar benefits.
Main topic: The Biden administration's proposed regulations to curb U.S. investments in key technology sectors in China due to concerns about enhanced battlefield capabilities. Key points: 1. The proposed regulations aim to prohibit certain investment transactions between U.S. citizens and companies in China in specific technology sectors. 2. For semiconductors and quantum information technologies, the regulations specify where U.S. investors will no longer be allowed to invest in China. 3. However, for AI systems, there are challenges in distinguishing between military and civilian applications, and the administration seeks to shape a prohibition based on the entities involved in the transaction.
Main topic: Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order that began the process of enacting restrictions on U.S. investment in three technology sectors in China: semiconductors, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence. Key points: 1. The executive order limits the scope of investment restrictions to these three technology sectors and prioritizes curbs on military applications. 2. The restrictions on China's technology sector align with the administration's broader strategy to slow China's tech growth by blacklisting companies and blocking exports of critical technologies. 3. The Treasury Department's proposed limitations and notification requirements for investment in these sectors are relatively narrow and include certain exemptions and restrictions on end uses. Note: This response condenses the provided text and presents the main topic and key points in a concise manner.
### Summary 🇩🇪 German Economy Minister, Robert Habeck, plans to tighten the process for reviewing foreign investments with a new law to enhance economic security and reduce reliance on China. ### Facts - 📜 German Economy Minister Robert Habeck aims to enhance economic security by tightening the process for reviewing foreign investments. - 🌍 Berlin urges companies to reduce their dependence on China and examines whether current regulations are sufficient for this goal. - 🇩🇪 Germany's strong business ties with China have raised concerns about the country's commitment to the Western approach to China. - 🔍 The new law would audit investments made through contractual agreements instead of acquiring voting shares. - 🏭 The ministry is also considering checking the security significance of new factories built in Germany by foreign companies. - 🤝 Security-critical research cooperation deals may also be scrutinized for potential risks. - 🌐 The move reflects a broader Western push to reduce strategic dependence on China and de-risk supply chains. Source: Reuters
Beijing needs to provide clarity on its economic plans and the national security crackdown in order to rebuild confidence in the future trajectory of China and address uncertainties, according to the head of a European business lobby in China.
The Biden administration's incentives for foreign investment in advanced manufacturing, such as semiconductor production and renewable energy technology, have redirected foreign direct investment towards the factory sector in the United States, although the overall amount of investment has not significantly increased.
The executive order announced by President Biden restricts US venture capital and private equity investments in sensitive Chinese tech sectors, potentially ending foreign investment in areas such as chips and AI in China.
China has defended its business practices and claimed that most U.S. firms want to stay and that Beijing is working to ease market access for foreign companies, in response to concerns from American businesses and global investors about the difficulties and risks of doing business in China.
US companies are becoming increasingly hesitant to invest in China due to concerns over new anti-spying laws, competition from state-funded firms, and the country's economic challenges such as deflation and a property crisis.
China's top security agency suggests that a meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden in San Francisco will depend on the United States demonstrating enough sincerity in their actions towards China.
The Biden administration has requested U.S. energy companies to provide affidavits documenting how Mexico's protectionist policies disrupted their investments, signaling plans to escalate a trade dispute with Mexico under the United States Mexico Canada Agreement trade pact.
U.S. President Joe Biden plans to offer financial support to developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia as an alternative to China's Belt and Road project, taking advantage of Chinese President Xi Jinping's absence at the G20 meeting and China's economic downturn.
China's economic challenges and failed rebound post-Covid are causing U.S. investors and businesses to view Chinese exposure as a liability, leading to underperformance in companies with high China exposure and potential bans on foreign devices, signaling a potential decline in China's economic growth.
The US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, expressed concerns about China's economic challenges and its potential impact on the global economy, while also noting that China has the policy tools to address these challenges.
President Joe Biden is seeking to counter China's influence in the developing world through high-profile meetings during his trip to India and Vietnam, emphasizing that the US is a trustworthy partner without wanting a new Cold War, but signs of geopolitical fractures remained evident.
US President Joe Biden believes that China's current economic crisis will prevent them from invading Taiwan, as Chinese President Xi Jinping is preoccupied with handling economic issues and is unlikely to have the capacity for aggression towards Taiwan.
The United States and Canada's top cybersecurity officials express concern about the formidable threat posed by China.
Top Republican warns that President Biden's border policies are allowing Chinese spies to infiltrate the US and pose a long-term threat to national security.
China's central bank has reassured multinational companies such as Tesla and HSBC that it will optimize its policy support after a sell-off in the stock market and concerns over foreign investment, as firms continue to divert investment away from China due to national security regulation and decoupling risks with the US.
The Biden administration has imposed trade restrictions on 11 Chinese and five Russian companies for compromising national security by supplying drone components, leading to a strong backlash from Beijing.
China's President Xi Jinping emphasizes the need for reform and opening up the economy as foreign investors consider leaving, calling for a greater opening up of free-trade zones and a focus on playing by international trade rules. Despite these efforts, China's foreign direct investment has fallen and US businesses remain skeptical due to regulatory uncertainties and geopolitical risks.
Liza Tobin argues that it is not China's economic growth that poses a risk to US national security, but rather its zero-sum tactics to achieve that growth, and therefore the US should target China's tactics and not its growth. On the other hand, Pavneet Singh believes that China's strategic intent to surpass the US as the world's economic and technological superpower presents significant risks, and the US must significantly increase its investment and coordination to compete with China. Cameron F. Kerry emphasizes the need for a measured response to China's growth and warns against a strategy aimed at keeping China down, while Mary E. Lovely argues that seeking to limit China's growth weakens the US and that the US should focus on targeted responses to harmful Chinese practices.
The Biden administration is concerned that the ongoing dispute between Canada and India over the alleged Indian involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist could disrupt the U.S. strategy towards the Indo-Pacific region and counter China's influence, potentially impacting their foreign policy priorities.
Two senior Republican members of the United States House of Representatives have urged the Biden administration to strengthen export controls on advanced semiconductors to China, citing recent technological advancements by China's leading semiconductor manufacturer as a reason for revising regulations.
The Biden administration is considering closing a loophole that allows Chinese companies to access American AI chips through units located overseas, in an effort to restrict China's access to advanced AI technology and plug gaps in export controls.
The Biden administration is considering additional measures to prevent Chinese developers from accessing U.S.-made AI semiconductor chips, targeting a loophole that allows purchases from Chinese electronics area Huaqiangbei and also looking to address the issue of Chinese parties accessing U.S. cloud service providers.
The Biden administration plans to close a loophole that allows Chinese companies to obtain American AI chips through their foreign subsidiaries, aiming to prevent China from accessing advanced technology and bolstering its AI capabilities and military advancements.