New law will bar demands for tech handover in exchange for market share: China

China says it will bar government authorities from demanding overseas companies hand over technology secrets in exchange for market share. Vice Chairman of the Cabinet's economic planning agency Ning Jizhe told reporters on Wednesday that the provision will be contained in a foreign investment law.

Accusations that China demands the disclosure of technology secrets are a key stumbling point in the U.S.-China trade dispute that has seen a major disruption in commerce between the world's two largest economies. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday set this year's growth target for the country at 6 to 6.5 percent. Such a growth rate, if achieved, would be among the world's strongest. Yet it would be slightly below last year's 6.6 per cent growth in China and would mark a new three-decade low.