Minister of Commerce Chen Deming Interviewed on Tech Transfer

In an unequivocal statement, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming stated in an interview with Bloomberg that "technology transfer and technological cooperation shall be decided by businesses independently and will not be used by the Chinese government as a pre-condition for market access." This statement comes as the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planning authority, advocates for 'joint U.S.-China R&D' programs with 'China's excellent enterprises,' which USITO understands to mean transfer of technology, at least to the so-called joint program. Although specific laws or regulations, especially at a national level, would seldom mandate tech transfer, the unwritten rules of the road could continue to present challenges in this area.

Minister Chen also called for increased sub-national dialogue on economic issues.

The interview was posted on the MOFCOM website.