China Says Foreign Firms Won't Be Forced To Turn Over Technology (vice.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: A top Communist Party official said Friday that China won't force foreign companies to turn over technology secrets to gain market access, signaling attention to a key sticking point with U.S. President Donald Trump as he prepared to leave Beijing. The statement by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, the Communist Party's No. 4 official, was made in an article published in the People's Daily newspaper under his byline. While other Chinese officials have made similar pledges in the past about foreign technology, Wang's statement stands out for the seniority of the person making it and its timing. In his article, Wang also pledged to improve the foreign investment environment and treat all companies equally. China will also increase access to its services and manufacturing sectors, wrote Wang, who was last month promoted to the country's top-decision making body, the Politburo Standing Committee.

Comments

Wang Yang

[rmdingler]

Whether or not you believe the Chinese, this apparent caving to a key tenet in trade negotiations is a win for the American President, its release timed just as he was scheduled to leave the country.

Interestingly, this places Wang Yang in the unenviable position of meteoric rise or cataclysmic fall within the Communist Party.

More interestingly, does this mean the Chinese were won over by Trump, or do they think this concession is a way to play him?