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SCMP

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. How critical minerals became China’s ultimate trump card in the trade war
Beijing is still tightening its grip over supplies of rare earths and other key minerals despite the tariff truce, allowing it to cut off US access at will.
2. China cuts key mortgage rate to spur property market. Is a rebound in sight?
China slashed a key reference rate for mortgage loans by 10 basis points on Tuesday amid efforts to stabilise the property market, but analysts said the moderate cut was still insufficient to revive a sector mired in a downturn.
3. China defies trade war challenge with US$17.3 billion in capital inflow

China attracted a significant net capital inflow into its bond and equities markets in April despite US President Donald Trump’s tariff war and can expect more foreign investment in Chinese assets, analysts said.
4. AI takes centre stage as China’s military firms show innovations at defence expo
Chinese defence firms showcased AI’s potential to improve combat decisions at an annual military expo in the capital last week, giving a glimpse of what could be available to the armed forces.
5. AI scientist Zhang Chengqi leaves Australia to teach in China

One of China’s earliest students of artificial intelligence, now a distinguished and long-serving professor in the field, has returned to work in China after decades as an academic in Australia.
6. China’s EV price war worsens, threatening carmakers’ plans to stem losses
The earnings outlook for Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers remains cloudy, as their profit margins further decline amid fierce price competition in the world’s largest auto market, according to JPMorgan Chase.
7. Despite 90-day truce, China-reliant US port still bracing for tariff war fallout

Last week’s agreement by Beijing and Washington to a 90-day pause on enacting their full tariffs has also shown up in shipping data. The ceasefire – called to allow for trade negotiations – has led importers to front-load as many shipments before the deadline expires.


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SCMP Highlights

Beijing’s hold over rare metals, China cuts mortgage rate benchmark: SCMP daily highlights

China slashed a key reference rate for mortgage loans on Tuesday amid efforts to stabilise the property market. Photo: AFP

A screen shows trading indexes at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, May 19, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Zhang Chengqi was appointed director of PolyU’s Shenzhen Research Institute, effective from January 1. Photo: Handout

Containers stacked at a port in Taicang, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province on Sunday. Photo: AFP

The US and China called a truce on tariffs, but is the battleground expanding?

Senior US and Chinese officials meet in Geneva on May 11. They agreed to a trade deal slashing most tariffs that came into effect on May 14. Photo: AFP

Japan follows Trump’s lead, weighs taxing imports from China’s Shein, Temu

Workers are seen on a production line manufacturing clothing for Shein in Guangzhou, China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Reuters

Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said Tokyo was watching “overseas cases and the impacts they’ve seen”. Photo: Reuters

The US “de minimis” removal has already forced Shein and Temu to charge higher prices. Photo: Reuters

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From China’s grip on the global supply of rare minerals to Beijing cutting a key mortgage rate, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage


From China’s grip on the global supply of rare minerals to Beijing cutting a key mortgage rate, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.


United States

Australia

Donald Trump

Beijing’s hold over rare metals, China cuts mortgage rate benchmark: SCMP daily highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From China’s grip on the global supply of rare minerals to Beijing cutting a key mortgage rate, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage

1. How critical minerals became China’s ultimate trump card in the trade war

From China’s grip on the global supply of rare minerals to Beijing cutting a key mortgage rate, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage