Here are the highlights of this month’s edition:
• Bilateral trade: Monthly U.S. goods trade deficit with China down 15.2 percent in April on fall in U.S. imports.
• Bilateral policy issues: The United States indicts six Chinese citizens on charges of trade secret theft; IMF says China’s currency is no longer undervalued.
• Policy trends in China’s economy: China undercuts fiscal reform by reopening lending to indebted local governments; Chinese stocks volatile as exchanges rebound after dramatic falls; China’s State Council redefines China Development Bank as a “development-oriented financial institution”; Xi Jinping goes to Eurasia, Li Keqiang to Latin America, both sign multibillion dollar bilateral finance deals.
• Sector spotlight – Sorghum: Following a surge in U.S. sorghum exports to China, Chinese authorities are imposing stricter customs inspections, raising concerns about a possible barrier to trade.