This past week, CTM covered the following issues.

China's Commerce Minister laid out the government's blueprint for global trade and investment over the next five years, vowing a path of "high-level opening." Crucially, the Minister also stressed that this openness will be balanced against national security, calling for enhancing export control and security review mechanisms.

Taiwan ordered a yearlong block on Chinese lifestyle app Xiaohongshu, citing a surge in fraud cases and serious data‑security risks. The move has ignited a debate over digital rights, free speech, and national security, and triggered criticism from Beijing.

The USPTO recently finalized a significant policy change requiring petitioners in Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings to disclose all Real Parties in Interest (RPI). This move immediately drew sharp condemnation from China’s Ministry of Commerce, which argued that the rule constitutes a violation of U.S. international obligations.

U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer pushed back on the idea that the Trump administration should align with other countries in a "common approach" to dealing with China on trade issues.

The U.S. House Select Committee on China held a hearing to discuss issues related to "China's Auto Threat to America." 

In a decision issued in July, a U.S. court rejected a claim by several persons from Taiwan asking the U.S. government "to address their alleged statelessness."

Concluding his visit to China under the shadow of concerns about persistent trade imbalances, French President Emmanuel Macron oversaw the signing of new bilateral agreements, including a document to promote investment and a pact focused on agri-food trade.

The Mexican Congress debated a proposal made by the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum to raise tariffs on goods from trading partners with which Mexico does not have a free trade agreement, with China being the country most affected. Later in the week, the Congress approved the proposal.