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August 24, 2023
Focus This Week
A community space to discuss the China-U.S. relationship and beyond.

Hi Focus Readers,

Top officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa convened in Johannesburg this week for the annual BRICS summit of major emerging economies. Following closed-door talks at the gathering, BRICS leaders have officially agreed to admit six more countries to the bloc – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The move has been framed as a way to strengthen the bloc and amplify the voices of developing nations, while also serving the geopolitical interests of Beijing and Moscow.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping was expected to give a speech at the event's business forum, but remarks were instead given by the country's commerce minister, Wang Wentao. While he didn't mention the U.S. directly, his speech often alluded to Washington's geopolitical position, stating that "some country, obsessed with maintaining its hegemony, has gone out of its way to cripple the emerging markets, and developing countries."

Another theme of the summit was de-dollarization and a move towards greater use of the BRICS currencies, and Xi expressed his desire for reforms within the international financial system, reflecting a call for change and adaptation.

Stay up to date on international affairs and the U.S.-China relationship by catching up on our latest Focus content, including topics covering U.S. restrictions on investments in China, China's economy, how Washington and Beijing can achieve productive engagement, and more.

Have a good weekend!

Team Focus


Focus Insights
Quote of the Week
"Drawing lessons from the nuclear age, we can forge a path that harnesses the potential of AI while mitigating its risks. A bilateral U.S.-China agreement on AI regulation is an essential step on this path, shaping not just the future of these two nations but of the entire world."
Peter Bittner
Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley

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Notable Number
$480B

The size of the global market for integrated circuits in 2022, featuring short life cycles and rapid iteration, likely involving hundreds of thousands, even millions, of companies. Read more from Han Liqun, a Researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, in "Squeezing China will Squeeze America."

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A look into cultural stories from our affiliate platform, The China Current.

Cantonese Opera: An Introduction to Chinese Culture

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The Xiqu Centre, a new performing arts center in Hong Kong, is a two-theater venue featuring Cantonese opera and Chinese traditional theater.
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Question of the Week:

In our Focus Insights section, we shared an article by Zhang Monan on the U.S.'s new investment restrictions on China and how they may possibly impact its position in the tech industry.


We want to hear from you:


What potential effects, positive or negative, do you foresee as a result of these restrictions? How might they impact the global high-tech industry, and the global economy in general?


Submit your thoughts to useditor@chinausfocus.com for a chance to be featured in next week's Focus This Week


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About Focus This Week

Prepared by China-US Focus editorial teams in Hong Kong and New York, this weekly newsletter offers you snap shots of latest trends and developments emerging from China and the U.S. every week. It is a community space to exchange thoughts and ideas about the China-U.S. relationship and beyond.

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