What Happened As Beijing searches for concessions to offer the United States in their ongoing trade talks , Chinese lawmakers have announced that they will convene on Jan. 29-30 for a previously unscheduled legislative session that will allow them to speed the review process for a long-awaited law on foreign investment. The bill, initially introduced in 2014, has faced repeated delays and has undergone multiple drafts. In its latest draft, published in 2018 amid an escalating trade war with the United States and growing grievances from foreign businesses, the bill aims to take a stronger line on protecting foreign investment and intellectual property rights. Specifically, the 39-article draft contains provisions to prevent the forcible transfer of intellectual property — addressing a core U.S. concern.