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  1. Negotiations

US-China

Washington and Beijing began formal negotiations towards a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) in June 2008. A year later, the highly sensitive talks were halted until July 2013. The US is interested in getting Chinese restrictions on foreign ownership in about 100 sectors -- from soybean oil and automobiles to life insurance and other financial services -- lifted for US companies which want to expand their market presence there. The Chinese government is interested in getting more security for highly-scrutinised Chinese investments in the US and its massive holdings of US sovereign debt ($1.3 trillion).

In late 2013, China agreed to initiate talks on a possible BIT with the European Union as well.

July 2014

US expects China investment treaty talks to intensify
31-Dec-2014     Reuters
The United States plans to step up negotiations with China for a treaty to free up investment flows, the Obama administration said on Tuesday
Sino-US investment treaty sees major progress
18-Dec-2014     Xinhua
China and the United States are finalizing text checks on a bilateral investment treaty and will formally exchange negative lists at the beginning of next year
China said to signal lifting ban on imports of GMO corn variety
17-Dec-2014     Bloomberg
China has told traders and officials that it approved lifting a ban on imports of a genetically-modified corn variety that’s commonly grown in the US as trade talks between the two countries begin today.
Chinese premier meets Obama, vowing to speed up BIT negotiations
13-Nov-2014     Xinhua
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting US President Barack Obama in Beijing on Wednesday, and both agreed to speed up efforts to reach a bilateral investment treaty.
US, China still talking on investment treaty
11-Nov-2014     The Hill
The US' top trade official said in Beijing that there is more work ahead in 2015 for a US-China bilateral investment treaty (BIT)
US-China free trade could generate $460b in gains -study
17-Oct-2014     China Daily
Peterson Institute says a US-China FTA would generate gains of 0.6% of GDP for the US and 1.9% for China.
China, US likely to conclude BIT talks in two years, says official
9-Oct-2014     Xinhua
China and the United States are likely to conclude bilateral investment treaty (BIT) negotiations within two years, China's Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said Wednesday.
China, US discuss investment pact
23-Sep-2014     CCTV
The 15th round of talks on a bilateral investment treaty between China and the United States began Monday in Beijing.
China's surging investment in US heralds new multinational era
4-Aug-2014     SCMP
Chinese investments in the United States now exceed American investments in China in an historic shift that may see the emergence of joint Sino-US multinationals, but one that is also fraught with geopolitical risks, said analysts.
Chinese investment in US falls, but big deals in the pipeline
28-Jul-2014     SCMP
Chinese investments in the United States fell year-on-year in the first half, but pending deals and the expected completion of the US-China Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) mean the figure for the year as a whole may rise substantially.