Washington and Beijing, locked in a fierce economic and political rivalry, renewed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement for five years on Friday following criticism by detractors, including US Republicans, that China is being given an advantage.
The signing is part of an effort to stabilize relations just weeks before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to slap huge tariffs on Chinese imports.
The agreement, which dates back to 1979, had been renewed every five years for decades, including during Trump’s first term, until last year when diplomatic relations between the two countries were at record low. […]
According to the administration official, the new agreement strengthens provisions on safety and dispute resolution as well as contains provisions on protecting intellectual property.
It also contains an exit clause in the event of non-compliance, and excludes cooperation in the fields of sensitive or emerging technologies. Läs artikel