"Perhaps of greatest concern for China is the software used in advanced manufacturing – Western companies control over 70% of the Chinese market for chip design software, for example."

China has accused the U.S. of stealing secrets and infiltrating the country's national time centre, warning that serious breaches could have disrupted communication networks, financial systems, the power supply and the international standard time.

The gathering reminds the U.S. government, on the verge of possibly its longest shutdown in history, that China is a big believer in planning. Beijing has held the strategy-setting meeting twice every decade since the 1950s to rally the country around specific social and economic goals.

The latest spat over rare earth controls underscores how both sides continue to talk past each other, writes Lizzi C. Lee.

By David Lawder and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top U.S. officials on Wednesday blasted China's major expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global supply chains, but said Beijing could still change course and avoid steps by Washington to decouple from the world's second-largest economy.

China’s exports of rare earth products fell in September from a month earlier, as Beijing’s tighter controls on strategic minerals ripple through global supply chains and heighten tensions with Washington.

China signaled on Sunday that it would not back down in the face of a 100% tariff threat from President Donald Trump and urged the United States to resolve differences through negotiations instead

Foreign affairs minister Anita Anand met with China's counterpart Friday to restart the dialog over shared objectives, including environment, energy and health.

President Trump tried to reduce tension with China after threatening 100% tariffs on imports over rare earth export restrictions and after China warned it will take corresponding measures.

Japan is aware of the technical challenges of mining at depths of up to 6,000m below sea level Read more at The Business Times.

BEIJING: China and the United States agreed on Saturday (Oct 18) to conduct another round of trade negotiations in the coming week, as the world's two biggest economies seek to avoid another damaging tit-for-tat tariff battle.