Research
China maintains a network of prison labor facilities that use forced labor to produce goods intended for export—a violation of U.S.-China trade agreements and U.S. law. The United States continues to face difficulty in preventing these products from entering its borders, but the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA) of 2015 has strengthened its ability to do so by closing a major legal loophole. Chinese authorities remain uncooperative with their U.S. counterparts; they routinely deny that forced labor occurs, and they have not allowed U.S. officials to visit suspected sites in years. Due to insufficient oversight, the supply chains of many U.S. companies remain vulnerable to forced labor-derived products.
Research
In July 2016, the United States and South Korea announced the alliance decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) antimissile battery in South Korea to defend against the increasing North Korean missile threat. The move has angered Beijing, which perceives THAAD as mostly directed at China and a regional security concern, according to its official statements. In response, Beijing has used economic coercion, among other levers, to try to compel Seoul to abandon the THAAD deployment, but these efforts have proven unsuccessful. This report includes an overview of the THAAD system and its deployment, China’s stated concerns about THAAD, and China’s array of pressure directed against South Korea. It also examines the implications of China’s forceful response to the deployment for the United States and the geopolitical landscape in the Asia Pacific.
Research
USCC Staff have compiled a table of World Trade Organization (WTO) cases brought by the United States against China from data provided by the WTO.
Research
USCC Staff have compiled a table of World Trade Organization (WTO) cases brought by China against the United States from data provided by the WTO.
Hearings
This roundtable will examine three interrelated topics: the overall health of China’s economy, the impact of China’s economic slowdown on the global economic system, and the specific impact on the U.S. economy and the U.S.-China economic relationship. The roundtable will be co-chaired by Vice Chairman Dennis Shea and Commissioner Michael Wessel.
Hearings
China’s rebalancing to a more consumption-driven economy presents opportunities for U.S. companies in the e-commerce, logistics, and financial services sectors. At the same time, U.S. service industries operating in and exporting to China continue to face significant market access challenges, including informal bans on entry, caps on foreign equity, high capital requirements, and data localization policies. This hearing will examine recent developments in China’s e-commerce, logistics, and financial services sectors and identify opportunities and challenges for U.S. companies.
Hearings
This hearing will investigate China’s relations with Northeast Asia (North Korea, South Korea, and Japan) and Continental Southeast Asia (Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia). Its investigation of issues in Northeast Asia will focus on the effect of tensions on the Korean Peninsula on China’s bilateral relationships and approach to the region as a whole. Its investigation of issues in Continental Southeast Asia will focus on China’s economic engagement with the region; regional countries’ response to China’s economic engagement; and China’s role in the security dynamics of the region.