Posted April 20, 2019 07:10:30 China has offered $50m to help thousands of job seekers who were caught up in a visa crackdown, as Beijing attempts to ease restrictions that have stifled growth in its industrialised provinces.
The offer, part of an $80m deal announced in late April, comes as Beijing tries to quell anger over the mass detention of migrant workers at an airport in Shanghai, which has raised fears the government will resort to resorting to economic reprisals to curb the flow of foreign investment.
The offer comes as China seeks to boost its domestic industry and is seeking to ease tensions with neighboring Taiwan and the US.
It also comes as officials continue to try to contain the effects of the crackdown, with the Ministry of Commerce warning that it is not over.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has promised to boost domestic industry, is scheduled to visit the US next week for talks with US President Donald Trump.
Xi and Trump have met twice since Xi took office in late January, and Xi has promised a more friendly relationship.
Xi has also pledged to bolster Chinese-US relations, which are already strong, in a speech to business leaders in Washington on Friday.
The two leaders met for the first time in the capital, and the Chinese leader hailed Trump’s efforts to help the US-China relationship.
“The US-Chinese relationship has improved enormously in the past two years,” Xi said.
“I am confident that this cooperation will continue to develop and deepen.”
Xi made clear that he would like to see more American investment in China.
“It’s not only good for China, it’s good for the US, it helps US-based companies to grow and create jobs in China,” he said.
In Washington, Trump has said he is open to more direct economic aid from China to ease the burden of visa restrictions.
“I think it’s very important to be able to do things with China and China’s problems are very, very big, and we want to be sure that we’re helping them as much as we can,” Trump told reporters.
Trump has called China a currency manipulator and an economic menace, and is looking to use the United States’ position as a global trade power to pressure Beijing to open its markets.
China has also been trying to ease its travel restrictions to lure more Chinese tourists to the United State, but Trump has repeatedly criticised Beijing for its crackdown on human rights and freedom of expression.
Many Americans say they have no sympathy for the Chinese, and have voiced their opposition to Xi’s crackdown on dissidents and civil society groups.
Beijing has vowed to retaliate against US restrictions on tourism, and has imposed travel restrictions on people from the US and Canada, including people on tourist visas and those who work in the entertainment industry.
Some experts say the crackdown has had little effect on economic growth.
But they point out that the crackdown is unlikely to have any impact on the overall economy as the economy has been largely insulated from the effects.
While there is no sign of the visa crackdown slowing down, experts say it may hurt the Chinese economy more than it helps.
One economist said the crackdown could have a “massive impact” on the economy because many Chinese will simply not be able travel to the US to work or visit relatives and friends.
Another said the move could also have an adverse effect on the US economy because some Chinese tourists will choose not to come.
However, the move has not been without critics in China, with some saying the government has been “pushing the envelope”.
Beijings own interest in tourism has been the subject of much criticism and criticism from both Washington and Beijing, and it is unlikely that Beijing would risk upsetting that interest.
Even with the offer, many are concerned the crackdown will hurt economic growth in the short term, said Chris Dolan, an analyst at China Investment Watch, an investment bank.
If the crackdown continues, it will have a negative effect on China’s domestic economy and increase the risk of a financial crisis, Dolan said.
The Chinese economy is expected to grow by 7.2 per cent in 2021 from an estimated 2.3 per cent growth in 2021, according to a Reuters poll of economists.
It is unclear if the crackdown on visa holders will be continued or extended as Beijing has made no commitment to do so.
More to come