The China Agenda for September 4–10 — ASEAN and G20

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Upcoming diplomatic visits and international political events

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is holding its 43rd summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 4–7. Beyond the 10 member states, a number of foreign leaders from partner countries will attend, including Chinese Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida, and Canada’s Prime Minister Trudeau.

• Premier Li will also attend the 26th China-ASEAN (10+1) Leaders’ Meeting, the 26th ASEAN-China-Japan-Republic of Korea (10+3) Leaders’ Meeting, and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS), and pay an official visit to Indonesia from September 5–8.

The G20 leaders’ summit will take place in New Delhi over the weekend, September 9–10. Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 is not expected to attend, with Premier Li representing China at the meeting.

U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to India on September 7 to attend the G20 Summit, and will also have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• It had previously been hoped that the summit would provide an opportunity for Xi and Biden to meet.

Biden will visit Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 10, where he is expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement.

• This would upgrade relations from the current “comprehensive partnership” agreement signed 10 years ago.

Australia’s former foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, will travel to China next week for a “1.5 track” forum, meeting a variety of government officials and other experts.

• Australia’s former Labor trade minister Craig Emerson will also visit Beijing accompanied by business leaders, scholars, and cultural representatives.

Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is also traveling next week:

• She will be in China until September 3, before heading to both the ASEAN and G20 summits later in the week.

The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will be held in Beijing September 2–6.

• The United Kingdom, the Guest Country of Honor, is sending 60 firms to engage in policy dialogues, and will hold more than 70 events to explore how the U.K. and China can work together to accelerate their trade partnership.
• U.K. business partners will include AstraZeneca China, HSBC, BP China, Standard Chartered, Pearson, Thoughtworks, Clifford Chance, CIMA, and Schroders.
• This follows Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s visit at the end of August.

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will pay an official visit to China September 3–5. He will attend the 11th joint meeting of the Sino-Italian Governmental Commission.

• This comes after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signaled her intention to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The Chinese Communist Party has invited a high-level delegation from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), the second-largest party in Parliament, for an official visit.

• This comes ahead of Prime Minister Dahal’s visit later in the month.

The PLA will be conducting bilateral military exercises with Singapore’s Armed Forces September 1–14. Exercise Cooperation is in its fifth iteration this year, having first been held in 2009.

The UN is holding several meetings this week, including:

• An Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole on the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socio-Economic Aspects, on September 6–7 in New York.

Political events in China

The National People’s Congress (NPC) is now soliciting public comment on a draft amendment to the Postal Law through September 11, and is soliciting public comment on five draft law revisions through September 30. The drafts are the Company Law, the Value-Added Tax Law, the Preschool Education Law, the Academic Degrees Law, and the Public Security Administrative Punishments Law.

New pro-natal policies are being implemented this month. As of September 1, marriage certificates are no longer needed for receiving birth subsidies in regions including Chongqing, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Hunan, and Jiangsu.

China-related political events in the U.S. and around the world

Several sessions are being held in Congress this week, which have a bearing on the U.S.-China relationship:

• The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold hearings to examine AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership with Australia and the U.K., on September 6 at 10 a.m. ET.
• The Senate Intelligence Select Committee will receive a closed briefing on certain intelligence matters on September 6 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
• The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold hearings to examine recent advances in artificial intelligence and the Department of Energy’s role in ensuring United States competitiveness and security in emerging technologies on September 7 at 10 a.m. ET.

Earnings reports, IPOs, and other business and market events

The International Motor Show Germany, or IAA, is being held in Munich September 5 to 10.

• BYD and a host of other Chinese automakers will be present, with displays in the city center and across the exhibition venue.

Data releases:

• On September 4, 9:45 p.m. ET, China releases its general services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which tracks variables such as sales, employment, inventories, and prices.
• On September 6, 11 p.m. ET, China’s balance of trade statistics will be published, including data on imports and exports.
• On September 7, China will publish data on its foreign exchange reserves.
• On September 8, 9:30 p.m. ET, China will publish its inflation numbers, as well as its Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures the average annual change in price of goods and services sold by manufacturers and producers in the wholesale market.

IPOs

• ImmuneOnco Biopharmaceuticals (Shanghai) Inc. 宜明昂科生物醫藥技術 will list on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on September 5.

Other events

Academic and think-tank events this week include:

India Institute of Chinese Studies: Special Lecture | Who is in, Who is out?: Urban Redevelopment, Local Identity, and Vernacular Proficiency in Shanghai, September 4, 9:30 a.m. ET.

Asia Society: How are the U.S. and Japan Shaping the Future of the Indo-Pacific?, September 6, 8:30 a.m. ET.

India Institute of Chinese Studies: Liberal Democracy and Confucianism: Creating a Hybrid for the 21st Century, September 6, 8:30 a.m. ET.

Brookings: Japan’s quiet leadership: Reshaping the Indo-Pacific, September 6, 9:30 a.m. ET.

Australian Centre on China in the World: Australia’s Relations with China: The Illusion of Choice, 1972-2022, September 7, 2 a.m. ET.

Asia Society: The CCP Absorbs China’s Private Sector, September 7, 8:30 a.m. ET.

Brookings: Should the US pursue a new Cold War with China?, September 7, 11 a.m. ET.

List of officials pictured in photo above (left to right):

Philippine’s Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan
Thailand’s SOM Leader Sarun Charoensuwan
Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son
Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi
Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Policy Chief Wáng Yì 王毅
Laos Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith
Brunei’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof
Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn
Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir
East Timor’s Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas
ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn