In a speech at the University of Technology Sydney on June 24, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian offered remarks and took questions on the China-Australia relationship. Overall, the tone of the remarks and the dialogue was positive, and could indicate that improvements in China-Australian relations are possible.

This past week, CTM covered the following issues: * Chinese IP law developments, Chinese IP rulings, a Ministry response to Secretary Blinken's speech, local government subsidies, a draft standard on privacy agreements, and fruit imports from Myanmar. * Enforcement of a new U.S. law on forced labor, Katherine Tai&

Two members of Congress have introduced bipartisan legislation designed "to strengthen United States diplomatic and aid presence in the Indo-Pacific" in order to counter the influence of China in the region.

At a budget hearing before a Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee today, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai was asked questions on a number of trade policy issues, many of which focused on China.

In a communique posted on its website last weekend, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided a long response to the recent speech on China policy given by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Chinese response says that Blinken "sought to promote the 'China threat'

At the recently concluded WTO Ministerial Conference, one of the key negotiating outcomes was a new agreement on fisheries subsidies. China is a leading provider of these subsidies, so the scope of the disciplines in this new agreement is of great importance to Chinese policymakers. At one point in the

A new bipartisan U.S. Senate bill would promote the U.S. defense of Taiwan, as well as enhancing trade ties between the United States and Taiwan and establishing sanctions for hostile Chinese actions towards Taiwan.