https://www.scmp.com/rss/265728/feed Rare earths are increasingly important for some high-tech products such as smartphones and hybrid cars. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of rare earths, accounting for 90 per cent of the world’s supply of all rare earths. In 2011, China has been criticised for curbing rare earth exports, and in 2011 it exported 16,900 tonnes of rare earth, down 58 per cent from year ago. It consumed about 83,000 tonnes, against global demand of 110,000 tonnes in 2011, according to an industry... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan In a defiant display of “America first” brinkmanship, Washington’s top trade negotiator on Thursday sought additional funding to support US President Donald Trump’s new trade wars, insisting the administration will not be held hostage by Beijing’s retaliatory tactics ahead of a high-stakes leaders’ summit next month. With Trump set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on May 14-15, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer used the agency’s budget hearing to draw a hard line: the US is doubling down... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350377/greer-pushes-funds-escalate-trumps-trade-fight-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350377/greer-pushes-funds-escalate-trumps-trade-fight-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:28:58 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has issued its first map pinpointing seabed chemical elements in the country’s eastern waters as Japan also races to tap undersea rare earth resources and deep-sea minerals. The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources published the results of marine geological surveys over the past two decades for the seas, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. The result was an atlas charting the location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil will require foreign partners to process rare earth minerals domestically as a condition for access to its reserves, a senior government official said this week, setting terms that could reshape how Chinese and Western firms compete for resources the country has long exported raw. “Our doors of Brazil to foreign investment are open, but our position has matured,” Leonardo Durans, a senior official at Brazil’s industry ministry, said at a press conference with international media on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:37:42 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu A leading European business association in China has urged Brussels to avoid becoming a “passive recipient” of US-China trade negotiations, as European firms scramble to navigate Beijing’s export controls. In a report released on Tuesday, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China asserted that the EU must take the lead in discussions affecting its interests, while urging Beijing to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to export controls. “We’re in a situation where Europe simply cannot... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349937/brussels-must-resist-passive-role-us-china-trade-war-eu-chamber-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349937/brussels-must-resist-passive-role-us-china-trade-war-eu-chamber-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Meredith Chen,Fan Chen Meredith Chen,Fan Chen The US drive to reduce reliance on China for rare earths and critical minerals will take more than fixing resource and processing gaps, experts say, noting that the decisive factor would be talent. Eroding industrial know-how, a weak education pipeline, and the lack of a consistent long-term strategy could complicate US ambitions to become a mining powerhouse and rival or even surpass China, they warned. Rare earth supplies are expected to be on the agenda when US President Donald Trump and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349894/compete-china-us-needs-rebuild-rare-earth-talent-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349894/compete-china-us-needs-rebuild-rare-earth-talent-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters The European Union on Monday launched ⁠the critical minerals ⁠section of its energy and materials ⁠procurement platform, which aims to give more power to regional buyers and cut dependence on dominant producer China by aggregating their purchases. The platform is part of the bloc’s RESourceEU strategy, announced in December ‌to develop its supply chains for rare earths and other strategic minerals needed for the energy transition and defence applications. China controls up to 90 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349956/eu-launches-operations-critical-minerals-procurement-platform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349956/eu-launches-operations-critical-minerals-procurement-platform?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:45:07 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Donald Trump’s threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz “forces Beijing into a political dilemma” and could potentially derail the US president’s coming summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, analysts said. After talks in Pakistan between the US and Iran ended without a deal on Sunday, Trump said in a social media post that the US would seal off the strategically vital chokepoint. In a narrower order issued later, the US military said American forces would blockade only “maritime traffic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349942/could-trumps-hormuz-blockade-derail-china-summit-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349942/could-trumps-hormuz-blockade-derail-china-summit-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:15:52 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The US and Japan have an ambition to transform the Philippines into a critical minerals powerhouse and cut their reliance on China as part of a broader economic partnership, but analysts warn that a lack of commitment by Manila to introduce comprehensive reforms and tackle corruption could hamper the goal. A report by the US-based think tank Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) said cooperation between the three countries was central to leveraging the Philippines’ vast potential as a source... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349421/can-philippines-become-critical-minerals-powerhouse-help-us-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349421/can-philippines-become-critical-minerals-powerhouse-help-us-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:39:59 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China and Australia should intensify exchanges on energy security amid complex global geopolitics, Canberra said on Tuesday as spillover from the US-Israel war against Iran continued to endanger the world economy. In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed the importance of energy security “in light of the current global challenges” and agreed to increase government-to-government communication to support regional energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:27:41 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Just weeks before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Washington’s top trade negotiator signalled a cautious, tightly managed approach to China ties, ruling out a pre-summit visit to Beijing, favouring continued virtual engagement, and indicating no new push to expand bilateral investment. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated on Tuesday that preparatory talks with Chinese counterparts would take place virtually, ruling out an in-person... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349312/only-virtual-talks-no-new-investment-push-xi-trump-summit-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349312/only-virtual-talks-no-new-investment-push-xi-trump-summit-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:03:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Democratic Republic of Congo will receive some migrants as part of a new deal under the Trump administration’s third-country programme, its government said on Sunday, the latest such African nation to receive migrants being deported from the United States. The deportees will start arriving in DR Congo this month, the Congolese Ministry of Communications said in a statement, without further details on the date or the number of deportees expected. It described the arrangement as a “temporary”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349108/dr-congo-latest-african-nation-receive-third-country-deportees-us-under-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349108/dr-congo-latest-african-nation-receive-third-country-deportees-us-under-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:53:36 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong An oil-supply shock caused by the US-Israel conflict with Iran is complicating US President Donald Trump’s already fragile mineral-alliance strategy, analysts said, given the acute vulnerability of energy-intensive rare earth refining and critical metal supply chains to such disruption. Oil and gas are essential for the critical mineral industry, according to analysts. Hydrometallurgical extraction for rare earth elements and other metals, such as nickel and cobalt, relies on a suite of chemical... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348809/trumps-fragile-ex-china-mineral-alliance-plan-faces-cost-surge-amid-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348809/trumps-fragile-ex-china-mineral-alliance-plan-faces-cost-surge-amid-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick With one of the world’s highest benchmark interest rates among major economies, Brazilian importers who buy from China are turning to a state-owned Chinese credit insurer to sustain trade flows that reached US$158 billion in 2024. Facing working capital lines that cost upwards of two per cent a month, equivalent to roughly 27 per cent a year according to market calculations, mid-sized importers are securing deferred payment terms directly from Chinese suppliers through credit limits backed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348719/how-chinas-state-insurer-turning-brazils-credit-crisis-export-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348719/how-chinas-state-insurer-turning-brazils-credit-crisis-export-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:21:11 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on Wednesday to design a road map for critical minerals supply as they seek to deepen cooperation in the sector amid China’s dominance of global rare earths. The two leaders also affirmed that Japan and France will maintain close communication in support of efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and establish a high-level dialogue on artificial intelligence, Takaichi said at a joint press appearance... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:58:08 +0000 Marco Vicenzino Marco Vicenzino Geopolitical competition has long been understood in territorial terms. Power was measured by control over land, resources and populations. Rivalry was expressed through military confrontation, alliance formation and the defence of borders. As economic interdependence deepened in the 20th century, globalisation was seen as an arena within which states competed, but not itself the object of competition. That assumption no longer holds. Increasingly, the infrastructure of globalisation is becoming... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347953/age-us-china-rivalry-supply-chain-statecraft-counts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347953/age-us-china-rivalry-supply-chain-statecraft-counts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As China’s property downturn drags on, foreign companies in downstream industries are revamping their business models to cope with a decline in new construction projects, but the country’s stable policy environment is helping to ease the transition, according to an executive at a leading US supplier. Lift giant Otis is looking for new growth momentum in China’s government-led urban renewal drive, which includes a push to install or upgrade lift systems in ageing apartment buildings, said Judy... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348155/chinas-property-downturn-grinds-foreign-suppliers-strive-adapt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348155/chinas-property-downturn-grinds-foreign-suppliers-strive-adapt?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen There is little chance the US could bring China to the table on any nuclear arms control agreements in the short term, despite upcoming leaders’ meetings this year, experts said on Tuesday, as the Trump administration pushes for a trilateral deal including China after the previous US-Russia treaty expired last month. There is “no shortage of good ideas” for how the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could move the world towards ending a nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347775/us-unlikely-get-china-join-new-nuclear-arms-control-agreement-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347775/us-unlikely-get-china-join-new-nuclear-arms-control-agreement-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:02:23 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Washington’s China policy lacks strategy, coherence and a clear framework in US President Donald Trump’s second term, mirroring his first, according to a former senior official in the Joe Biden administration. Former Biden officials, speaking at a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace event on Tuesday, said there was little evidence of systemic policy when they assumed power in early 2021, after Trump’s first term, a pattern that appeared to be repeating itself. “There were themes about how... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347772/trumps-china-policy-lacks-strategy-and-coherence-former-biden-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347772/trumps-china-policy-lacks-strategy-and-coherence-former-biden-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat China has cut exports of two metals used in military technology to Japan while increasing shipments of rare earth magnets, in what could signal a muted warning after geopolitical tensions between the two Asian economies flared last year. Exports of gallium to Japan registered zero volume in the first two months of the year, compared with 8,007kg (17,652 pounds) in the same period of 2025, customs data showed. Germanium exports were also at zero in January and February, compared with 400kg (882... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347567/china-cuts-exports-two-hi-tech-metals-japan-increases-rare-earth-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347567/china-cuts-exports-two-hi-tech-metals-japan-increases-rare-earth-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:00:15 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has announced major discoveries of various critical minerals, including rare earths and fluorite, bolstering its reserves of the resources essential for the hi-tech, new energy and defence industries. At the Maoniuping mine in Sichuan province’s Mianning county, authorities announced the discovery of 9.7 million tonnes of rare earth oxides, bringing the site’s total proven reserves to 10.4 million tonnes, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. Surveys also revealed 27.1 million... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347436/china-reports-stunning-critical-minerals-finds-hi-tech-race-us-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347436/china-reports-stunning-critical-minerals-finds-hi-tech-race-us-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Dewey Sim Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Dewey Sim The official line is straightforward: US President Donald Trump asked for a delay to his long-anticipated summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and it has been pushed back by “a month or so”. According to the White House, moving the meeting allows Trump to remain in the US and manage the escalating war with Iran, including urgent efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But beneath the surface, a more complex story emerges: months of growing frustrations, mismatched expectations,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347008/what-are-real-reasons-behind-change-date-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347008/what-are-real-reasons-behind-change-date-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The administration of US President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI) policy framework aimed at curbing state-level restrictions on innovation, as it urged Congress to address AI risks and reinforce the US edge in an intensifying technology race with China. Congress should pre-empt state AI laws that “impose undue burdens”, to ensure a national standard instead of “fifty discordant ones”, Trump said in a new legislative recommendation named the National AI... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347396/trump-administration-moves-unify-ai-rules-bolster-edge-over-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347396/trump-administration-moves-unify-ai-rules-bolster-edge-over-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:43:27 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s exports of rare earth permanent magnets to the United States continue to fall, at a time when Washington and its allies are stepping up efforts to reduce reliance on the country’s critical mineral supply chains. Shipments of permanent magnets to the US totalled 994 tonnes in January and February, down nearly 22.5 per cent year on year, according to data released on Friday by China’s General Administration of Customs. This marked the seventh consecutive month of decline. Over the two... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347326/chinas-rare-earth-magnet-exports-us-keep-falling-europe-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347326/chinas-rare-earth-magnet-exports-us-keep-falling-europe-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:30:09 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma William Klein worked for more than two decades as a US diplomat, including in several senior roles at the United States’ embassy in Beijing from 2016 to 2021. He worked at the American Institute in Taiwan and on the US State Department’s China desk in Washington, and occupied US diplomatic posts in South Asia, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. He is based in the Berlin office of FGS Global, a consultancy with a focus on US-China and EU-China relationships. SCMP Plus readers get early... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347242/inside-look-trump-xi-summits-ex-diplomat-william-klein?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347242/inside-look-trump-xi-summits-ex-diplomat-william-klein?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier A high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday appeared to get off to a good start as the two touted the bilateral relationship and pledged to work cooperatively on trade, stabilising the global energy market and regional security. Takaichi was the first US ally to meet face to face with the mercurial president, amid concern that he would take out his anger on her for the large number of security partners who have declined to help... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347220/trump-talks-japanese-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-positive-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347220/trump-talks-japanese-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-positive-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:21:23 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Beijing’s global pharmaceutical push is following a playbook seen in rare earths, semiconductors and electric vehicles, US lawmakers said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the United States’ reliance on Chinese drug ingredients. “China is cornering the market on our medicines – from the supply of generic drugs that Americans depend on every day, to the cutting-edge biotech pipeline that will determine who leads medicine in the years and decades ahead,” said John Moolenaar, the chair of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:33:43 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has committed more than US$120 billion in direct investment in overseas mining and mineral processing projects since 2023 – covering the likes of lithium and rare earth metals – with that spending boosting clean energy usage in developing countries, a think tank said on Wednesday. It was helping to advance the “zero-emissions world economy” by offering mineral inputs for solar equipment, wind power, electric vehicles and industrial decarbonisation offshore, the Australian think tank... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346979/chinas-multibillion-dollar-minerals-investment-lifts-foreign-economies-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346979/chinas-multibillion-dollar-minerals-investment-lifts-foreign-economies-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Resource-rich African nations are increasingly asserting control over critical minerals to maximise domestic returns, sending global prices soaring and exerting pressure on Chinese supply chains. One price crunch started last month when Zimbabwe, Africa’s biggest lithium producer, abruptly suspended exports of raw lithium minerals and concentrates. The country had originally planned to impose the ban in 2027 to encourage more local value-added processing of the mineral but the government brought... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346717/chinas-supply-chain-meets-wall-african-resource-nationalism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346717/chinas-supply-chain-meets-wall-african-resource-nationalism?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:36:21 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China and the US ended the first day of trade talks in Paris on Sunday without any major developments. Talks will continue tomorrow when the US delegation is set to leave. The Chinese delegation will stay one more day before leaving on Tuesday. The first day of the sixth round of trade talks between the world’s two biggest economies – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – was rather uneventful for journalists waiting outside the venue, the headquarters... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346687/us-china-trade-talks-low-key-start-negotiations-after-first-meeting-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346687/us-china-trade-talks-low-key-start-negotiations-after-first-meeting-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:33:25 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Paris, as the two sides seek to pave the way for US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Beijing later this month. The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Sunday. Talks began at 10.05am local time, according to a source familiar with the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346652/china-and-us-begin-fresh-round-trade-talks-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346652/china-and-us-begin-fresh-round-trade-talks-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:53:39 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow For years, the West’s answer to Chinese dominance of critical minerals was to rally around Washington. Now, some of its most important allies are reaching a different conclusion: that depending too heavily on the United States carries its own risks. Japan, France and Canada have all been exploring how to build supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals that answer to neither Beijing nor Washington. Senior officials from the three Group of Seven economies are working on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346530/beyond-pax-silica-japan-france-and-canada-seek-rare-earth-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346530/beyond-pax-silica-japan-france-and-canada-seek-rare-earth-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Trade talks between China and the United States in Paris this weekend are likely to focus on setting the scene for the Beijing summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump later this month, analysts said, downplaying the prospects of any significant breakthroughs. Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are expected to discuss potential deals on tariffs, investment, and trade in soybeans and rare earths, which would be presented as deliverables for the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346505/us-china-trade-talks-what-expect-senior-officials-meet-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346505/us-china-trade-talks-what-expect-senior-officials-meet-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The US war against Iran may have handed Beijing some fresh rare-earths leverage over Washington, with roughly three weeks until US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to China. Washington’s heavy reliance on the Chinese minerals for its advanced weapon systems means China could dictate how long US strikes on Iran can go on, according to sources and analysts. Sources told the South China Morning Post, on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, that Washington had only... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346123/could-chinas-rare-earth-supplies-dictate-how-long-us-strikes-iran-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346123/could-chinas-rare-earth-supplies-dictate-how-long-us-strikes-iran-go?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As US President Donald Trump prepares for his first China trip in nearly a decade, Chinese scholars see an opportunity to steer ties away from confrontation and towards a managed coexistence. Speakers at a seminar hosted by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World last week were cautiously optimistic about prospects for the relationship. That was despite Washington’s strategic pullback, heightened sensitivities over the Taiwan Strait, and intensifying conflict in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Potential US innovation in recycling electronic waste, combined with refining and processing, will allow the US to leapfrog China in critical minerals, an official at the Department of Energy said on Monday amid Washington’s aggressive attempts to counter China’s dominance in the industry. Recycling metals, materials and magnets within the US is one of the fastest ways the country can impact the critical minerals supply chain, and entrepreneurs across the US are “pioneering” new techniques that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346024/us-counter-beijings-critical-minerals-dominance-game-changing-innovations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346024/us-counter-beijings-critical-minerals-dominance-game-changing-innovations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:29:00 +0000 William Zheng,Sylvie Zhuang William Zheng,Sylvie Zhuang In his decades toiling as a health official in a coastal Chinese province, Alan Chen has rarely had to study a subject about which he knew so little. “Nd is Neodymium. It is needed for almost all modern EV motors. China dominates the refining of Nd oxide. Dy is Dysprosium. It is needed for magnets to operate at high temperatures and is also essential for EV motors.” This was the kind of content Chen pored over in a training course he attended at the Central Party School, the Communist Party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345957/economic-security-101-why-chinas-officials-now-have-study-rare-earths-and-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345957/economic-security-101-why-chinas-officials-now-have-study-rare-earths-and-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Representatives of China’s semiconductor industry are calling for stronger state backing in artificial intelligence chips and critical materials, aiming to fast-track core technology breakthroughs. During last week’s “two sessions” – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and advisory body – scholars and entrepreneurs in the semiconductor sector urged Beijing to leverage the nation’s advantage in strategic chip raw materials and accelerate the commercial application of AI chips to secure... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345997/chinas-chip-industry-seeks-more-state-support-ai-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345997/chinas-chip-industry-seeks-more-state-support-ai-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong American companies are grappling with a shortage of critical minerals used in daily operations despite China easing some of its export controls, according to industry insiders. After Beijing and Washington agreed to a so-called trade truce last November, the Ministry of Commerce issued a notice suspending a ban on shipments of gallium, germanium and antimony to the US for one year. But China’s dominant position in the global market for these vital raw materials, including heavy rare earths,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345762/why-chinas-critical-mineral-dominance-still-disrupting-us-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345762/why-chinas-critical-mineral-dominance-still-disrupting-us-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 02:00:13 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China should build an underground network across its western region to protect key energy and defence facilities, securing long-term reserves while boosting national security and crisis resilience, energy experts have said. Zhang Shishu, chief technical expert at Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), a state-owned energy and infrastructure giant, called for critical facilities to be embedded deep beneath the Earth’s surface at a safer, less detectable level. In an article for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3345859/china-urged-build-underground-great-wall-defence-crisis-hit-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3345859/china-urged-build-underground-great-wall-defence-crisis-hit-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Samer Elhajjar ,Niraj Dawar Samer Elhajjar ,Niraj Dawar For years, debates about US-China competition have defaulted to the obvious categories: ships, chips, tariffs and security pacts. Soft power was often treated as America’s home turf, the domain of Hollywood, top universities, global brands and a political ideal that still attracts even when it disappoints. That assumption is getting riskier. The world has entered a new emotional weather pattern: fatigue. It’s a structural condition shaped by overlapping shocks: pandemic after-effects, inflation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344992/fatigue-rewriting-us-china-soft-power-contest-starting-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344992/fatigue-rewriting-us-china-soft-power-contest-starting-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Khushboo Razdan,Ji Siqi Xiaofei Xu,Khushboo Razdan,Ji Siqi China and the United States will hold a new round of high-level trade talks in Paris at the end of next week, according to sources from both sides, as preparations press on for US President Donald Trump’s visit to China. Led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, the two delegations will meet in the French capital to discuss trade and investment deals – including on tariffs, investment, soybeans and rare earths – that would be presented as deliverables... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345336/china-and-us-hold-high-level-trade-talks-paris-trumps-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345336/china-and-us-hold-high-level-trade-talks-paris-trumps-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 02:25:27 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The massive American military strikes on Iran could add a new layer of uncertainty to US President Donald Trump’s high-stakes trip to China at the end of the month, observers warn. They said that while the visit was expected to go ahead as planned, the escalating conflict in the Middle East could fuel fresh concerns in Beijing over Washington’s global assertiveness and ambitions. Large-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iran since Saturday have killed senior Iranian figures including the supreme... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345181/will-iran-attack-derail-trumps-high-stakes-china-visit-meet-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345181/will-iran-attack-derail-trumps-high-stakes-china-visit-meet-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:06:00 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The United States Supreme Court, which dealt a serious blow to US President Donald Trump’s tariff-based trade policy, may have helped to steady the rocky trade ties between China and the United States ahead of a crucial summit meeting. In a stunning decision that cut across ideological blocs, six out of the nine justices ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose the emergency tariffs he did last year on nearly all imports into the US, including the so-called reciprocal duties on dozens of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344879/china-now-holds-more-cards-ahead-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344879/china-now-holds-more-cards-ahead-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 23:15:16 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Early in 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw and held talks with both General Min Aung Hlaing, the chief of the armed forces, and Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the civilian government. The meeting was a chance for China to voice support for Myanmar’s “national conditions” development path and signal China’s long-term pragmatic approach to ties with its southwestern neighbour, irrespective of who was in power. That strategy, however, came under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343830/5-years-and-1-election-later-why-chinas-myanmar-dilemma-still-isnt-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343830/5-years-and-1-election-later-why-chinas-myanmar-dilemma-still-isnt-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Suppliers to US aerospace and semiconductor ⁠firms face worsening rare earth shortages, with two turning away some clients, industry insiders said, weeks before US President Donald Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for a summit in Beijing. The shortages centre on rare earths such as yttrium and scandium, niche members of the family of 17 elements, which play tiny but vital roles in defence technology, aerospace and semiconductors and are almost entirely produced in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344782/chinas-rare-earth-curbs-hit-us-aerospace-chips-hard-despite-trumps-trade-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344782/chinas-rare-earth-curbs-hit-us-aerospace-chips-hard-despite-trumps-trade-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:33:43 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Less than six weeks ahead of a likely summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, preparations are inadequate, bilateral contacts anaemic and outcomes diminished, according to analysts and former government officials familiar with planning. The shortfall reflected in part Trump’s reluctance to delegate, disdain for process and focus on quick wins, banking instead on personal magnetism and his “gut” as summit organising principles, they said. The planning deficit also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Washington will keep China tariffs at their current level as the Trump administration seeks “continuity” after the Supreme Court struck down the levies it imposed last year, according to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, weeks ahead of a high-stakes meeting between the two countries’ leaders. The US will keep in place current China tariffs, which have varied from 35 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the product, since the countries “de-escalated” the trade war last year, Greer said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344658/us-keep-china-trade-tariffs-steady-ahead-key-trump-xi-meeting-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344658/us-keep-china-trade-tariffs-steady-ahead-key-trump-xi-meeting-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:11:22 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin Just hours apart on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, two congressional hearings laid bare the United States’ calibrated yet deeply sceptical approach to China, with senior officials stressing the pursuit of stable ties without trust and highlighting alleged Chinese efforts to steal or circumvent US technology restrictions. The officials’ appearances before Congress reflected bipartisan concern and underscored persistent tensions over trade and advanced technologies such as semiconductors, ahead of US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344521/us-seeks-healthy-trade-relations-china-does-not-trust-it-lawmakers-clarify?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344521/us-seeks-healthy-trade-relations-china-does-not-trust-it-lawmakers-clarify?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:40 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and Brazil are stepping up efforts to boost trade cooperation among developing economies and regional blocs as a hedge against mounting global trade uncertainty, after signing agreements in New Delhi ranging from rare earths to digital infrastructure. The deals were sealed during Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s five-day visit to India, which ended on Sunday, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In January, India assumed the rotating chair of the Brics... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:06:25 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen As US President Donald Trump prepares for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing from March 31 to April 2, analysts say recent American policy reversals, including a Supreme Court ruling striking down broad tariffs, have shifted trade tensions into a phase of cautious stability rather than escalation. The legal setback has strengthened China’s negotiating position, bolstered by lowered effective tariffs, its leverage over critical minerals like rare earths, and a more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344388/us-tariff-ruling-points-steadier-us-china-ties-ahead-april-summit-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344388/us-tariff-ruling-points-steadier-us-china-ties-ahead-april-summit-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:49:08 +0000