China: Obama presses Chinese officials on antitrust motives

US President Barack Obama reportedly questioned Chinese officials’ motives in implementing antitrust regulations this week as the White House met with China’s General Secretary Xi Jinping.

”The United States government is concerned that China is using numerous mechanisms, including anti-monopoly law, to lower the value of foreign-owned patents and benefit Chinese firms employing foreign technology,” a White House spokesperson told reporters. The two leaders met last month and, according to the White House, Obama “raised these concerns about the enforcement of China’s anti-monopoly law directly with President Xi” during that meeting.

Sources say that while Obama did not name Qualcomm directly in discussions with Xi, the president is most concerned over China’s ongoing investigation into the chipmaker. The nation’s National Development and Reform Commission has been probing the company for more than a year and reports say the case focuses on Qualcomm’s dominance in China’s market for technology patents.

Obama’s concerns echo earlier sentiments expressed by US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew earlier this year.

Full content: NDTV

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