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Facing U.S. blowback, Beijing softens 'Made in China 2025' message

F-22Raptor

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BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing has begun downplaying Made in China 2025, the state-backed industrial policy that has provoked alarm in the West and is core to Washington’s complaints about the country’s technological ambitions, diplomatic and Chinese state media sources said.

With a full-blown trade war looming amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on up to $450 billion in Chinese imports, his administration has fixed on Beijing’s signature effort to deploy state support to close a technology gap in 10 key sectors.

Beijing is increasingly mindful that its rollout of the ambitious plan has triggered U.S. backlash.

The Trump administration is considering rules that would bar companies with at least 25 percent Chinese ownership from buying U.S. firms with “industrially significant technology,” a U.S. government official said on Sunday.

A senior western diplomat told Reuters that in meetings Chinese officials have recently begun downplaying Made in China 2025. The officials have stressed that the aspects that have raised the most ire abroad were simply proposals by Chinese academics.

And state news agency Xinhua, which made more than 140 mentions of Made in China 2025 in Chinese language news items in the first five months of the year, has not done so since June 5, a search of a public database found.


The diplomat said some Chinese officials have gone so far as to suggest it was a mistake for the government to have pushed the plan so forcefully and publicly because it had increased pressure on China.

“China is apparently starting to adjust to the blowback caused by the heavy propaganda,” said the diplomat, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

“They won’t stop doing it,” the diplomat said, referring to Made in China 2025. “The way they talk about it is changing.”

China’s State Council Information Office did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

Three state media journalists told Reuters they had been instructed not to use the term Made in China 2025. Two others said they received no such instructions.

DEVELOPING COUNTRY
As President Xi Jinping’s China has taken a more muscular stance on the global stage, to the discomfort of many in the west, some academics and many netizens have urged a more modest approach.

China’s nationalistic Global Times tabloid struck a reserved tone in an editorial published late on Sunday, saying China had become “overconfident” about its technological advancements.

“Prudence is needed in boosting citizens’ confidence. Otherwise, negative effects may be exerted, be it domestically or abroad,” the paper said.

China still refers to itself as a “developing country” even though it is the world’s second-largest economy, and has long held to former leader Deng Xiaoping’s oft-quoted maxim: “Hide your strength, bide your time.”

CLOSING THE GAP
Under Made in China 2025, unveiled by China’s State Council in 2015, China wants to catch up with rivals in sectors including robotics, aerospace, clean-energy cars and advanced basic materials.

The strategy is at the core of China’s efforts to move up the value chain and achieve Xi’s vision of turning the country into a global superpower by 2050.

But it has provoked the more hawkish members of Trump’s team, including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro, author of the book “Death by China.”

Trump’s initial list of tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods, which will begin taking effect on July 6, specifically targets items related to Made in China 2025.

Foreign business groups have criticized the program as large-scale import substitution.


Under the plan, Beijing wants Chinese suppliers to capture 70 percent of market share by 2025 for “basic core components and important basic materials” in strategic industries.

Other targets endorsed by senior Chinese officials include ensuring 40 percent of smartphone chips are domestically made by 2025.

Xi gave a May 28 speech on innovation that reflected the key ideas of Made in China 2025 without mentioning it by name.

“Practice repeatedly tells us, key core technology cannot be demanded, bought or begged,” he said. “Only by firmly grasping key core technology in our hands can we fundamentally guarantee national economic security, national defense and other security.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...tens-made-in-china-2025-message-idUSKBN1JL12U

China embarrassed that it relies heavily on the forced transfer and theft of US technological know how?
 
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US has the tech...

and..

US is working on a gaint MAKE IN USA plan...

MIND IT...!!
 
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“They won’t stop doing it,” the diplomat said, referring to Made in China 2025. “The way they talk about it is changing.”

This is a welcome news. The rhetoric is changing. The content is not.

Of course, China won't be changing or stopping the Made in China 2025 policy. If it were, China would not slap the US back exactly the same scale and scope each time the US tried to punish China economically.

Made in China 2025 is China manifest destiny. It will be completed.

Discourse, however, will be revised. It is normal. In fact, the use of discourse is to be able to change as the conditions require. In terms of adaptability and quick response to new conditions, China is a very capable polity.

This is something to celebrate. I sense China enjoys to watch the US destroy its bottom-line with everybody, not just with Beijing.

Another reason in change of discourse is the fact that recent over-emphasis on development may have created a slightly overrated sense of development.

Bottom line is, China is a developing country. It will remain so for a while. Being developing does not mean being weak. Being developing means China has itself, and only itself, to take care of.
 
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It's called downplaying.. just like we used to offer a name change of CPEC so that Indians wouldn't cry so loud.

well, turns out you Americans these days are no different than Indians...mushy insecure and paranoid

The US has exposed China's nefarious practices of forced tech transfers and outright theft of US know how.

I'd downplay to. China is fooling no one.
 
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Nothing has been exposed, Indian friend.

The only thing exposed is the US as an unreliable partner and a trade midget scared of competition. Otherwise, they would only target China, not the entire globe from Europe to Japan.

The US exposed itself as being weak and relatively easily beatable on trade.
 
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The US has exposed China's nefarious practices of forced tech transfers and outright theft of US know how.

I'd downplay to. China is fooling no one.

In the pass, US had cheated China with their high tech product such add back door program on their computers sold to China or install listening device into airplanes sold to china such as Boeing 747 used by Chinese President, after exposed US's nefarious practices of cheating with their product sold to China, the only way to have a security clearance is asking US technological for transfer so we will be sure 100% that US's products are not the threat to China.
 
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Nothing has been exposed, Indian friend.

The only thing exposed is the US as an unreliable partner and a trade midget scared of competition. Otherwise, they would only target China, not the entire globe from Europe to Japan.

The US exposed itself as being weak and relatively easily beatable on trade.

China relies heavily on US know how and has openly admitted to it. Everly level of the Chinese state is involved in acquiring US technology. The US is just rightfully defending itself.

China has been exposed as frauds to the world. It's only natural the Chinese regime would downplay such revelations.
 
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China relies heavily on US know how and has openly admitted to it. Everly level of the Chinese state is involved in acquiring US technology. The US is just rightfully defending itself.

China has been exposed as frauds to the world. It's only natural the Chinese regime would downplay such revelations.

What has been exposed not the way China does trade, but the way the US views international trade.

The US has been exposed as a weakling that requires special treatment. If the treatment is not given by consent, they will try bullying.

Yet, bullying does not work on everybody.

That's why, even the US transatlantic partners swiftly slapped it back.

The fact is, the US has very little of its own that the rest of the world does not have.

That's why, even Turkey and India sanctioned back the US. No body was impressed.

As for China, China's trade volume, both imports and exports (at varying degrees) are increasing/growing. That's the empirical reality.

The greatest hit, so far, has been on the US reputation as rational and reliable trade partner.
 
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they will have to import massive cheap labour (immigrants) for that to happen. it's not like the whites are going to pick tomatos, flip burgers or make toys in a factory

had US not shared their android system with any mobile company outside US...
would US need cheap labour to make trillions of $ ?....would't we still buy the smart phone paying double the price....
 
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The US has exposed China's nefarious practices of forced tech transfers and outright theft of US know how.

I'd downplay to. China is fooling no one.
No one is forcing US companies to stay in the Chinese market.. tech transfers are the price for them to get market access, they don't like it? then just leave.

almost all country playing catch-up do that, nothing nefarious about it.India also demanded phones sold in Indian market to be assembled in India, of course our phone makers don't like that, but in the end they all complied. you don't hear us complaining :-)

It's called the commanding power of a market. Get used to it.
 
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China relies heavily on US know how and has openly admitted to it. Everly level of the Chinese state is involved in acquiring US technology. The US is just rightfully defending itself.

China has been exposed as frauds to the world. It's only natural the Chinese regime would downplay such revelations.

How on earth China relies heavily on US know how when US banned selling high tech products to China and prevent China to acquire US companies? doesn't make any sense
 
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