Secretary of Commerce to visit China at end of August

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Secretary of Commerce is set to visit China at the end of August, according to the Commerce Department, making Gina Raimondo the second high-ranking member of the Biden administration to visit China this year.

Secretary Raimondo will visit Shanghai and Beijing from August 27-30, according to the Department of Commerce, and will meet with business and senior political leaders as tensions between the two countries are rising.

“While in the PRC, Secretary Raimondo looks forward to constructive discussions on issues relating to the U.S.- China commercial relationship, challenges faced by U.S. businesses, and areas for potential cooperation,” the Commerce Department said in a statement.

Raimondo’s upcoming visit comes on the heels of China increasingly going on the offensive in cyberspace, according to an assessment by the office of the director of national intelligence — including hacking Raimondo’s emails in May, sources told ABC News.

“China probably currently represents the broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat to U.S. Government and private-sector networks. China’s cyber pursuits and its industry’s export of related technologies increase the threats of aggressive cyber operations against the U.S. homeland,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessment says. “China almost certainly is capable of launching cyber attacks that could disrupt critical infrastructure services within the United States, including against oil and gas pipelines, and rail systems.”

Shortly after the e-mail hack, Raimondo met with her Chinese counterpart in Washington.

The two, according to the Commerce Department had a “candid and substantive” discussion “on issues relating to the U.S.-China commercial relationship, including the overall environment in both countries for trade and investment and areas for potential cooperation.”

The Secretary of Commerce is the third high-level Biden administration official to visit China this year. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China in June and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen followed Blinken.