Last week, a bipartisan duo of U.S. Senators introduced legislation "to prevent the granting of 'developing nation' status to China in future treaties and international organizations."

The U.S. government announced that it is sanctioning six companies for their involvement in China's spy balloon programs.

In an opinion issued in late December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke the authority of China Telecom (Americas) Corp. to operate domestic and international transmission lines.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing last week on "Evaluating U.S.-China Policy in the Era of Strategic Competition," with one of the issues discussed being how to counter Chinese economic coercion.

In two interviews on Sunday, Australia's trade minister spoke positively about the possibility of some Chinese trade restrictions on Australian goods being lifted.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen visited China over the weekend and met with top Chinese officials to discuss investment, trade and financing construction. After the meetings, the two sides issued a joint statement, pledging more cooperation in six areas.

Reports last week indicated that Chinese-made security cameras found in Australian government offices would be removed.