Christmas tree troubles, new Pacific missile launch: 7 US-China relations reads
From a ruckus over Christmas trees to new drug trafficking arrests, here are highlights from our overseas correspondents in the first half of July 2026
1. US lawmakers push for fewer tax breaks to reduce reliance on China technology
A growing number of US lawmakers see the tax code as a way to shift corporate America’s reliance on Chinese technology, framing economic ties as a national security risk.
2. Lindsey Graham’s death removes one of Washington’s most influential China hawks
The death of US Senator Lindsey Graham removed one of Washington’s most influential advocates of a hardline approach towards China at a moment when Republicans are debating how aggressively the United States should confront Beijing and project military power overseas.
3. US says China gave only hours’ warning before Pacific submarine missile launch
Washington criticised China for providing only a few hours’ notice ahead of its launch of a submarine-fired ballistic missile into the Pacific, saying Beijing’s actions fell short of standards followed by other major nuclear powers.