Business | More Sino-American business tensions

America tries to nobble China’s tech industry. Again

Despite a thaw in some areas, Sino-American business relations feel frosty

A woman visits a semiconductor device display at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai, China March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song - RC2XGM9JWMY1 — Image: Reuters

Dec 20th 2022|Hong Kong

For YEARS regulators in Washington have been trying to gain access to the books of Chinese companies listed in America, to ensure they are in good order. Their counterparts in Beijing have refused, invoking vague national-security considerations. This summer it seemed as though Chinese firms with nearly $1trn-worth of shares traded in America would be forced to delist from American bourses as a result of the stalemate. On December 15th America’s auditing regulator announced a breakthrough: its team has been allowed to conduct inspections in Hong Kong.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “A thaw, and lots of frost”