economic sanctions

Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard's picture

Killing Chinese Life Sciences, Part II-Birth, Adolescence, and Adulthood

The most recent and prominent United States (US) attempt to limit cooperation with Chinese life science businesses has stalled, but is hardly dead.

Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard's picture

Killing Chinese Life Sciences, Part I: Poisoning WuXi AppTec and its Kin

In January 2024, Congressman Mike Gallagher, the Chair of the United States (US) House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, introduced the “Biosecure Act,” which prohibits the US government (USG) from “procuring or obtaining biotechnology equipment or services produced or provided by a biotechnology company of concern,” participating in a c

MNCs in the News - 2022-February

Didi Global retreats from its announced decision to cease operations in Russia. Chinese businesses in Ukraine have taken various steps to protect their workers and projects following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Indian tax officials launch tax probe of Huawei’s offices in India, raising further concerns about India’s stance towards Chinese tech companies. China Unicom Global criticizes the United States (US) Federal Communication Commission’s decision to terminate the operating license of its US subsidiary. As part of its contribution to Western sanctions against Russia, Japan institutes various economic sanctions against Russian businesses in Japan and implements a number of export restrictions, too. Extant Japanese economic sanctions against Russia and the possibility of more increase Japanese corporate concerns about the adverse ramifications for payments, operations in Russia, and lost export sales. The Korea Communications Commission tells both Apple and Google that they need to redo their plans for complying with Korea’s Telecommunication Business Act which has ramifications for in-app payment systems. Korean construction firms encounter multiple challenges as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent imposition of economic sanctions on Russia.

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Finding Greatness in China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA), part III: The GBA as (yet) another “Silicon Valley”

This series’s first blog notes the GBA seeks to create a global innovation, research, and technology hub in the mold of “Silicon Valley.” There are many reasons to expect success. These range from a “cocktail of inputs” including massive government support to huge capital pools to a strong ecosystem for research to prominent artificial intelligence, health tech, robotics, smart city, and telecommunications players with extensive patents and research and development (R&D) spending to broad and deep (and continuously improving) hard infrastructure.

MNCs in the News-2021-June

China adopts law for countering foreign sanctions, which some in foreign business community in China fear may be applied against it. Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China releases report highlighting anxieties about uncertainties created for Japanese firms by a slew of new, ambiguous laws and regulations such as the unreliable entities list and national security review law. Current data do not support the thesis that China’s national security law for Hong Kong has damaged Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center. Chinese firms are expanding their overseas operations to escape home country competition, gain local knowledge, and so on. Chinese outward foreign direct investment in Belt and Road Initiative countries shows respectable growth over first five months of 2021 versus prior year period. Japan continues along the path of greater regulation of internet giants and their potential abuse of market power. South Korean district court dismisses wartime labor compensation lawsuit brought by a group of Koreans against 16 Japanese companies. Korean firms substantially increase their lobbying activities in the United States for various political and economic reasons. Korean consortium’s hopes to win nuclear power plant bid rise with Czech government’s decision to rule out the involvement of Chinese and Russian companies.

MNCs in the News-2021-May

According to China Ministry of Commerce statistics, China’s utilized foreign direct investment (FDI) over the 1st four months of 2021 showed impressive growth. In a recent report, the British Chamber of Commerce in China highlighted China’s data rules and data flow restrictions as new areas of concern on top of continuing issues like market access and the lack of a level playing field. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission has given the United States (US)’s Goldman Sachs approval to enter into a wealth management joint venture (JV). In the wake of new data rules and various image problems, Tesla announced the construction of a new data center in Shanghai to store information on gathered on local users and their vehicles. China’s initiation of economic sanctions against various European Union (EU) officials in response to EU sanctions against China has raised questions about whether or not the ratification process for the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment will move forward. China’s Landbridge rejected concerns that its 99-year lease of Australia’s Darwin port presents any kind of a national security threat. A Japanese Liberal Democratic Party group investigating methods to enhance Japan’s economic security has proposed the creation of a public-private body to develop solutions for public policy issues like supply chain resiliency. An official Chinese media piece warned various prominent Japanese apparel companies’ decisions to stop using Xinjiang cotton might cause them to lose business in China. Japanese export restrictions against South Korea are driving Japanese semiconductor material companies to increase their activities and in South Korea as a way to circumvent Tokyo’s economic sanctions. During Korean President Moon Jae-in’s summit with US President Joseph Biden, Korean companies proposed massive investments in manufacturing plants

MNCs in the News-2021 March

China Ministry of Commerce spokesperson says China’s new foreign investment security review will not impose unnecessary burden on normal foreign businesses. China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee Chairman says China will press forward on efforts to combat the extraterritorial application of foreign sanctions. China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission gives foreign investors the right to acquire a 51+ percent stake in Chinese insurance companies. China’s economic sanctions against members of European Parliament threaten to disrupt the ratification process of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). Sweden’s H&M faces backlash because of its stance of working with factories in or products from Xinjiang. Chinese executives in state-owned enterprises in Myanmar say turmoil in the country has not affected Belt and Road Initiative projects. Brexit has adversely affected Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United Kingdom. The head of SBI Holdings says he will move the firm’s brokerage out of Hong Kong due to the evolving political situation. Line takes steps to limit the access of Chinese affiliates and contractors to Japanese data and shift data from Korea to Japan. Japan’s Fast Retailing suffers disruptions due to fires set at two of its Myanmar suppliers in wake of military coup. Korea advances industrial cluster scheme to increase its local production capabilities in the wake of tensions with Japan and Covid-19 related disruptions. In response to complaints, Google Korea will lower in-app purchase commission for smaller app developers. South Korean companies partnering with Chinese internet platform and fintech firms worry that Beijing’s increasing regulation of the latter may adversely affect their joint ventures. The governor of Georgia asks US President Biden to overturn a United States International Trade Commission ruling that threatens a SK Innovation factory in Georgia.

MNCs in the News-2021 January

China receives the largest amount of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2020. China’s 2020 revised catalog of encouraged FDI takes effect increasing the number of encouraged sectors. China issues rules to counteract foreign extraterritorial sanctions affecting its nationals and companies. Renewable energy investments dominate China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) energy infrastructure investments in 2020, though coal remains prominent. India makes ban on dozens of Chinese mobile phone apps permanent due to national security and data privacy concerns. China asks India to clarify its permanent ban against Chinese mobile apps. Japan creates English-language, one stop shop to help foreign financial firms set up operations in Japan. United States (US) sanctions against Huawei and limits on Huawei’s involvement in foreign telecommunications infrastructure projects led Japan’s Sumitomo to turn elsewhere for business. Brexit deal between United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) will keep Nissan producing electric vehicles in the UK. Japan unconvinced Korean President Moon Jae-In’s labeling of a 2018 Supreme Court decision on corporate assets as “undesirable” will solve anything. The head of GM Korea emphasizes labor issues as one of the factors that reduce South Korea’s appeal as a destination for FDI. SK Innovation to invest $895 million into a battery plant in Georgia, a move some feel is about winning a case before the US International Trade Commission. Daewoo Engineering & Construction wins major port facility contracting deal in Iraq. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power gets contract for major dams in Pakistan.

MNCs in the News-2020 July

Chinese President Xi Jining courts foreign direct investment (FDI) in encouraging letter to the Global CEO Council. China plans to impose sanctions on United States (US) company Lockheed Martin because of the latter’s weapons sales to Taiwan. China’s new, strict cybersecurity laws and regulations have driven Morgan Stanley, a US investment banking firm, to block its interns in China from remotely accessing its virtual network. The recent border clash with China has increased the pressure on New Delhi to reduce the country’s dependence on Chinese solar goods. Various special interest groups have called for the US to sanction China’s CRRC after the US Pentagon labeled it as backed by the Chinese military, saying it represents a security threat. Despite calls for a boycott in the wake of India’s border clash with China, many are skeptical Chinese smartphones can be displaced from the India market. Japanese and British trade negotiators agree they will not require encryption keys or the localization of data. Japan’s Mizuho Financial Group faces growing shareholder pressure to stop financing coal projects. Japan helps Japanese companies move to Vietnam and also helps them shift production lines to Japan as well as various Southeast Asian countries. Myanmar gives three Japanese firms permission to build a mega-liquified natural gas power plant. Korea to spend billions to promote an innovation-based economy. European Union to restart review of the merger of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings. Incheon Port Authority joins the United Nations Global Compact. The backlash against Huawei creates some openings for Samsung, though it is unclear if the Korean firm can exploit them.

Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard's picture

Europe Facing Disconnection Disaster over Huawei and Curbs on Chinese Companies?

European countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, and Norway have been struggling over the extent to which they should use equipment and services and accept foreign direct investment (FDI) from Chinese telecommunication firms.

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