That split makes the target list symbolic as well as practical, a shot across the bow for China's ambitions to develop high-technology sectors outlined in the country's "Made in China 2025" industrial plan. "The list targets the China of the future, not of the past," said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief economist for Asia at Natixis . "It is really the way to go if the U.S. administration worries about China surpassing it as a technological power." In one example, the list generated by the United States Trade Representative takes aim at China's ambitions to become a world power in electric vehicles with tariffs on cars with electric motors as well as the lithium-ion batteries used to power them. Chinese auto makers don't yet sell electric cars in the U.S., but Beijing is investing heavily in the sector--including by funding its own manufacturers--to secure future global sales.