China dethroned as US’ top source of imports, Wang and Blinken meet in Munich, hope for AI talks: 7 reads about US-China relations

From top-level meetings and a century-old trade rule to AI discussions and a shock investment discovery by the House, here are a few highlights from the SCMP’s US-based correspondents in February 2024

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Mexico overtook China as America’s No 1 importer in February. Illustration: Shutterstock

Published: 11:30pm, 1 Mar 2024Updated: 10:21am, 2 Apr 2024

We have selected seven of the biggest and most important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing in our spring flash sale.

1. Chinese foreign minister and US secretary of state meet in Munich

In February, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met at the Munich Security Conference. The “candid and constructive discussion” came amid a relative thaw in bilateral ties. The talks touched on US concerns about stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, as well as China’s perceived support of Russia in the Ukraine war, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Read the full story here.

2. TikTok CEO’s grilling on China ties could ‘undermine’ US image: Singapore envoy

Late in January, a US senator’s grilling of TikTok’s Singaporean boss on his nationality and links to China’s Communist Party left his countrymen angry. Two weeks later, the island’s top envoy in Washington suggested the line of questioning went too far and could tarnish perceptions of the US. Singapore’s ambassador to the US, Lui Tuck Yew, said an interrogation like that “can sometimes possibly undermine the image and understanding of how the US is viewed in different parts of the world, not just in Asia and not necessarily only in Singapore”.

Read the full story here.

3. Why China hopes US won’t touch century-old trade rule for imports under US$800

Amid a push to tighten a long-time trade rule, Chinese companies like Temu and Shein are flourishing, as parcels surpass a quarter of a trillion dollars in value annually. The century-old American trade provision known as the de minimis rule allows companies to ship packages worth under US$800 stateside without paying import duties, taxes or fees, or undergoing tedious screening procedures. US critics claim the rule has given Chinese e-commerce platforms and sellers an unfair advantage and squeezed out American retailers. “How the de minimis rule might change will be a critical issue to watch in 2024,” said Sheng Lu of the University of Delaware.