House Republicans have pushed for reassurances that the Biden administration’s Commerce Department is keeping American interests at the forefront in dealing with technological advancements and the use of semiconductors in national defense technology. In a Sept. 19 hearing held by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo was questioned by lawmakers about the Department of Commerce’s work in implementing provisions related to semiconductors under the CHIPS and Science Act. Rep. Michael Garcia (R-Calif.) initiated the discussion, emphasizing the significance of addressing the ongoing trade disputes with China. He underscored China’s status as the most significant threat to the United States and stressed the need for a reciprocal trade agreement.... House Republicans Question Raimondo on Semiconductors and China Trade Relations
House Republicans have pushed for reassurances that the Biden administration’s Commerce Department is keeping American interests at the forefront in dealing with technological advancements and the use of semiconductors in national defense technology. In a Sept. 19 hearing held by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo was questioned by lawmakers about the Department of Commerce’s work in implementing provisions related to semiconductors under the CHIPS and Science Act. Rep. Michael Garcia (R-Calif.) initiated the discussion, emphasizing the significance of addressing the ongoing trade disputes with China. He underscored China’s status as the most significant threat to the United States and stressed the need for a reciprocal trade agreement.... 
A congressional hearing sounded the alarm about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) using Mandarin language programs to spread communist ideology and grow its soft power in America’s K-12 classrooms. Confucius Classrooms, the K-12 version of Confucius Institutes (CI) in universities, are language programs for which the CCP provides funding and controls curriculum and teacher vetting. In August 2020, the State Department designated the CI program’s D.C.-based headquarters as a “foreign mission” of China based on its “skewed Chinese language and cultural training for U.S. students as part of Beijing’s multifaceted propaganda efforts” and that the CI language programs were under guidance from the CCP’s United Front Work Department, the leading agency in charge of influence operations....
The United States on Tuesday announced new sanctions on Chinese, Iranian, Russian, and Turkish companies and people it said were supplying equipment for Iran’s drone and military aircraft development. Those targeted for sanctions include one Chinese company and two individuals. Shenzhen Jiasibo Technology Co., Ltd. facilitates the supply of components that could be used to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), such as aerospace-grade radar altimeter systems and sensors, to Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company, the Treasury Department said in a statement. “Iran’s continued, deliberate proliferation of its UAVs enables Russia, its proxies in the Middle East, and other destabilizing actors to undermine global stability,” Brian E Nelson, Treasury’s under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement....
Vague laws, tensions with Washington over technology, geopolitics, and a slowing economy are key impediments for U.S. firms in China, according to an annual poll conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai. “2023 was supposed to be the year investor confidence and optimism bounced back after years of Covid disruptions and restrictions. According to our 2023 survey of U.S. businesses in China, however, the rebound has not materialized and business sentiment has continued to deteriorate,” said a report released by AmCham on Tuesday. AmCham added that these concerns—such as China’s worsening business environment and doubts about the country’s economic recovery—dampen optimism and shape how companies operate in China....