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US-China relations

US-China relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-China relations, including trade war, talks, and tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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14
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam holds a meeting at the party’s central office in Hanoi on November 21, 2025. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to tighten grip on power as party congress begins

The party’s general secretary is eyeing a dual role similar to Xi Jinping’s in neighbouring China.

US-Venezuela conflict

Counting China’s ‘swing nation’ wins and losses in new era of power rivalry

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Venezuela

Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Beijing’s shock: 7 US-China relations reads

US debt ceiling

China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

Beijing’s Treasury holdings hit a September 2008 low, and analysts point to fears over Fed independence and debt sustainability, while gold’s appeal rises.

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China trimmed its holdings of US Treasuries in November to the lowest level since 2008. Image: Shutterstock
US-Venezuela conflict

Trump pick for South America command sidesteps China questions at Senate hearing

Lieutenant General Francis Donovan’s answers frustrated even Republicans in favour of a military-first plan to counter Chinese influence.

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Donald Trump

China’s US envoy says world faces ‘stark choice’ as 2026 opens with instability

Xie Feng barely mentions Donald Trump by name but draws contrast between Washington’s recent actions and Chinese-led stability.

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SCMP Exclusives

Exclusive | US envoy David Perdue to visit Hong Kong at the end of January, sources say

Envoy is expected to address a business conference and will spend several days in the city, according to people familiar with the matter.

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David Perdue is said to be visiting Hong Kong to speak at a Goldman Sachs conference on January 27. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
China-EU relations

Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda driving countries closer to China: survey

Nearly 26,000 people from 21 countries overwhelmingly agreed that Chinese global influence will grow over the next decade.

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US-China trade war

China’s slowing growth, bilateral tensions top US business concerns

Survey by American Chamber of Commerce in China finds that expectations for Sino-US ties have ‘improved significantly’.

Taiwan

Lutnick warns Taipei to keep Trump ‘happy’ as US chip deal draws Beijing rebuke

Trade official says island must stay in Trump’s favour for protection, but says he still plans an April China visit amid good ties with Xi.

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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (right) and US President Donald Trump are seen last year in the Oval Office of the White House. Photo: AP
Mainland China

US bill for US$300 million arms sale to Taiwan passed in House

The 482-page bill outlining varying military assistance comes as Taipei announced that more US weapons sales to Taiwan are in the pipeline.

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The Patriot missile system is deployed at a park in Taipei in July, 2025. A US bill approving US$300 million for Taiwan’s military is on its way to becoming law. Photo: AFP
Rare earths

US lawmakers propose US$2.5 billion agency to boost production of rare earths

The US is moving to reduce reliance on China after Beijing used its dominance in critical minerals to gain leverage in the trade war.

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US-Venezuela conflict

China-linked hackers ‘used Venezuela-themed phishing to target US agencies’

Swiss firm says Mustang Panda leveraged US-Venezuela tensions as geopolitical lures in a malware campaign against government-related targets.

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Mainland China

The US has sent a ‘dangerous’ message and China must act, legal expert warns

Beijing think tank expert calls for legislation to protect against ‘external suppression’ and to safeguard technology and supply chains.

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A legal expert in Beijing said tighter national security legislation was needed to make China more “resilient”. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China trade war

Trump sets 180-day deadline to counter China’s control of critical minerals

US government warns global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade hurdles.

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In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat. Photo: Reuters
Georgia

Biden administration decision to scrap China Initiative flawed: White House

US top science adviser Michael Kratsios says ceasing programme aimed at combating economic espionage from Beijing ‘damaging’.

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Nvidia

Trump administration faces backlash over Nvidia H200 AI chip sales to China

Critics warn easing export controls could boost Beijing’s military and undermine US lead in the AI race, as White House defends decision.

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US-China tech war

Why China fears Trump’s Nvidia H200 deal is a sophisticated Trojan horse

Can Washington bind Chinese rivals to American technologies or will access to the AI chips hasten Beijing’s challenge to US dominance?

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Illustration: Brian Wang
US military

‘Wartime footing’: US Navy chief unveils Trump’s Golden Fleet shipbuilding push

John Phelan says it is essential that America matches China’s superior production capacity and manufacturing workforce.

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Brazil

Brazil-China trade hits record US$171 billion in 2025 as US tariffs prompt pivot

The US is a distant second in trade volume with Brazil as Beijing helps soften the impact of Washington’s levies.

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Banking & finance

Growth in sovereign investors’ China exposure slows amid political tensions

Inflows fall 58 per cent as sovereign wealth funds grow cautious, yet outlook signals selective opportunities ahead, experts say.

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Sovereign investment activity has become increasingly politicised, forcing some Western state-owned investors to avoid major deals in China, according to a data platform. Photo: EPA
China trade

As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

Shipments to Asean and Africa surged to drive a record US$1.19 trillion surplus for China, offsetting headwinds as leaders push to boost local demand.

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The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is seen on Thursday in China’s Zhejiang province. The nation’s trade resilience has been attributed to its fastest-growing sectors having limited exposure to the United States. Photo: Xinhua
War and conflict

As I see it | The Chinese century may already be here

International competition will be won by nations with steady and realistic policies guided by a vision, not the ones indulging in cowboy militarism.

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US-China trade war

US government approves Nvidia H200 chip exports to China

Trump administration on Tuesday gave the green light to China-bound sales of Nvidia’s second most powerful AI chips.

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United States

Not ‘Trump-compatible’? China expert Rudd exits Australia’s US ambassador role

Kevin ‌Rudd left his post a year ‍earlier than planned following criticism from US President Donald Trump at White House meeting in October.

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Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, is stepping down a year earlier than expected and is returning to lead the Asia Society think tank. Photo: TNS
Mainland China

Chinese student numbers at Harvard rise despite Trump visa crackdown

Enrolment from mainland China grew 4.5% in 2025 even as Washington tightened vetting and revoked thousands of student visas.

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Harvard is continuing its fight against the Trump administration with two legal challenges over funding cuts and foreign student enrolment restrictions. Photo: Getty Images
US-China decoupling

Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise

Far from setting China back, Trump’s foreign policy is bolstering the case for viewing Beijing as the driver of a more equitable world.

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China manufacturing

Fears over China’s trade surplus misplaced as West also driving trend: analysts

China’s global manufacturing dominance is a tale of two halves; reliant on home-grown industrial growth and Western consumption, experts say.

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