Latest News

United States Treasury's Yellen to go back to China, highlight excess capacity hazard

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will go back to China this week to continue her economic discussion with leading Chinese officials amid a brand-new emphasis on the global danger positioned by the Asian superpower's growing excess commercial capability, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.

The April 3-9 journey, which will be Yellen's second in-person check out to China considering that July 2023, will consist of a drop in the southern factory hub of Guangzhou before Beijing.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are arranged on Tuesday to hold their first direct talks since November, in an employ which the U.S. leader will seek to reduce stress over Taiwan's governmental inauguration in May.

Biden administration officials said that both Biden and Yellen will be stressing the need for China to produce a fair. and level playing field for U.S. workers and companies.

In Guangzhou, Yellen will meet with Chinese Vice Premier He. Lifeng, Guangdong Province Governor Wang Weizhong and executives. of U.S. business in China, the Treasury Department said. She. will hear first-hand about company climate difficulties that are. triggering U.S. companies to limit their financial investment in China.

Yellen last met He, her primary Chinese financial. equivalent, in November 2023, ahead of the Asia-Pacific. Economic Cooperation Top in San Francisco, where Biden likewise. met Xi.

Considering that Yellen's first see to Beijing last July, she and He. have released economic and financial working groups that meet. practically. The discussion up until now has actually been mainly concentrated on. discussing essential financial issues dealing with each country and their. particular policy actions, such as the home market. difficulties in China that have actually weakened customer confidence, or. the failures of two significant U.S. local banks in 2015.

U.S. Treasury authorities likewise have actually utilized the discussion to. discuss that U.S. national security limitations on. semiconductors and U.S. financial investment into China will be narrowly. targeted.

CAPABILITY OBSTACLE

The increased U.S. focus on Chinese excess capacity. represents a shift in the discussions at a time when China's. exports are growing in the middle of weak need in the house. Xi has also. vowed to release new efficient forces in China by investing. in establishing technology markets consisting of electric automobiles. ( EVs), new materials, industrial spaceflight and life sciences.

Yellen said recently at a Suniva solar module factory near. Atlanta that Chinese federal government assistance has caused considerable. overinvestment in steel, aluminum and other industries, paving. the method for inexpensive exports that have actually forced manufacturing in. other, market-driven countries to contract.

Now, we see excess capacity structure in 'brand-new' markets. like solar, EVs, and lithium-ion batteries, Yellen said throughout. her journey last week, adding that this was distorting prices and. production patterns and harming employees in the U.S., European. Union and other economies.

Asked if she would raise the hazard of new trade barriers on. her next China see, Yellen said she did not wish to enter into. retaliation, adding: We wish to see what we can do that's. constructive.

The EU is investigating whether China's EV industry is. taking advantage of unjust subsidies, a probe that could result in. tariffs to safeguard European carmakers. The U.S. Commerce. Department has actually opened a probe into whether Chinese vehicles posture. nationwide security dangers due to the information they transmit, and the. Biden administration is facing growing calls from lawmakers to. walking tariffs on Chinese EVs.

A U.S. Treasury official informed press reporters that Yellen throughout. her approaching China journey would make clear the international economic. consequences of Chinese commercial overcapacity damaging. makers in the U.S. and companies around the world.

The authorities, speaking on condition of privacy, stated U.S. and Chinese authorities would likely go over currency matters as a. regular part of their financial talks, however decreased to talk about. current weakness in China's yuan currency.

The official included that Yellen would seek further. cooperation in locations equally useful to both countries,. consisting of fighting environment modification, combating illegal financing. and narcotics trafficking and providing relief to. debt-distressed establishing nations.

(source: Reuters)