The New York Times reports, "The Chinese government, which has long used its country's vast market as leverage over American technology companies, is now asking some of those firms to directly pledge their commitment to contentious policies that could require them to turn user data and intellectual property over to the government. The government distributed a document to some American tech companies earlier this summer, in which it asked the companies to promise they would not harm China's national security and would store Chinese user data within the country, according to three people with knowledge of the letter who spoke on the condition of anonymity."
"China's apparent construction of a third airstrip on its man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea could fill a gap in Beijing's anti-submarine defenses, complicating operations for the U.S. Navy and its allies, Chinese and Western experts said. While most attention has been on the power projection China would get from its new islands in the Spratly archipelago, China could also use them to hunt rival submarines in and beyond the strategic waterway, they said. Possessing three airstrips more than 1,400 km (870 miles) from the Chinese mainland would enable Beijing to extend the reach of Y-9 surveillance planes and Ka-28 helicopters that are being re-equipped to track submarines, the experts added," writes Reuters.
"Top economic advisers to Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare public appearance to tout new cooperation deals between U.S. and Chinese companies, in an attempt to highlight common interests ahead of what may be tense talks between Mr. Xi and U.S. President Barack Obama. The advisers on Thursday unveiled new deals in energy and railways. They include a tie-up between General Electric Co. and China National Machinery Industry Corp.-a state-owned conglomerate known as Sinomach with ambitions to become the GE of China-to build clean-energy projects in Africa," The Wall Street Journal reports.