https://www.scmp.com/rss/328150/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat On a Monday morning, Li Hangyan hurried through the doors of her shop, just as she does every day. Lately, however, the pace of work has picked up as a growing stream of customers arrives with questions about orders ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup. In Yiwu, a city in eastern China’s Zhejiang province about 300km (186 miles) from Shanghai and home to the world’s largest wholesale market for small commodities, foreign buyers from across the globe are once again gathering to source goods. At Li’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352306/how-chinese-city-netting-profits-amid-world-cup-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352306/how-chinese-city-netting-profits-amid-world-cup-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China has cleared the way for a landmark visit by the Dutch trade minister – signalled by Beijing’s quiet removal of long-held sanctions on the official – at a time when their bilateral relations need some attention, according to people familiar with the matter. Beijing has agreed to host Sjoerd Sjoerdsma for a visit and has removed him from the sanction list, a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. “No date is fixed yet [between Beijing and The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351671/un-sanctioned-china-welcome-dutch-trade-minister-amid-nexperia-asml-discord?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351671/un-sanctioned-china-welcome-dutch-trade-minister-amid-nexperia-asml-discord?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:57:56 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham China will hit EU firms with reciprocal measures if the bloc targets Chinese firms as planned under its proposed cybersecurity regulations, Beijing has warned. In a 30-page document submitted to the European Commission on Friday, China’s commerce ministry explicitly warned that broad retaliation was on the table if firms such as Huawei and ZTE were penalised by the law, which was announced in January but is still in draft form. “If the EU designates China as a ‘country posing cybersecurity... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350763/china-threatens-eu-firms-over-cybersecurity-plans-targeting-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350763/china-threatens-eu-firms-over-cybersecurity-plans-targeting-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:01:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Asia-Pacific economies are likely to suffer a slowdown in growth this year, as rising costs linked to the US-Israel war on Iran combine with lingering trade uncertainty to threaten global trade flows, according to forecasts by top international organisations. The predictions come despite China showing resilience in the first quarter by posting better-than-expected growth of 5 per cent and finance minister Lan Foan last week stressing that the world’s second-largest economy would remain an engine... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350676/asia-growth-forecasts-slashed-iran-war-and-tariffs-threaten-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350676/asia-growth-forecasts-slashed-iran-war-and-tariffs-threaten-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:00:10 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, operator of the marketplace that was once the epicentre of global consumer goods trading, is planning an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong to support overseas expansion, as the wave of mainland Chinese firms looking to raise funds in the city continues. The state-owned company, which runs the Yiwu international trade market in east China’s Zhejiang province, said in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Wednesday that a share sale in Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349483/operator-yiwu-market-former-mecca-global-consumer-goods-trade-eyes-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349483/operator-yiwu-market-former-mecca-global-consumer-goods-trade-eyes-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:03:52 +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 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan has pushed back against a growing number of foreign governments that label it part of China in their internal systems. But questions are mounting over whether Taipei’s retaliatory moves can deliver results. The dispute has widened in recent weeks after South Korea, Denmark and Cameroon were found to have changed how they designate the island in official systems, such as those that handle visa documents, residence permits and international conference credentials. Taipei has responded with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Beijing has launched two trade barrier investigations into the United States in response to a pair of Section 301 probes that allege unfair trade practices by China and other economies and could pave the way for Washington to reimpose higher tariffs. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the investigations would focus on US measures deemed harmful to global industrial and supply chains, including those that obstruct trade in green products. The ministry said in a statement on Friday that... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348193/china-launches-investigations-us-trade-practices-why-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348193/china-launches-investigations-us-trade-practices-why-now?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:30:08 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In these turbulent times, focusing on the World Trade Organization’s 14th ministerial conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, is a bit like trying to focus on a picnic sitting alongside a bar brawl, or listening to a lesson in pruning bonsai while a lumberjack takes a chainsaw to a giant redwood. But try we must. Even if the deliverables are meagre and may take years to materialise, the symbolism of Yaounde points to a possible future very different from today’s chaotic hegemonic unilateralism –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348028/wto-meeting-cameroon-signals-rise-world-minus-one-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348028/wto-meeting-cameroon-signals-rise-world-minus-one-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has accused Mexico of imposing trade and investment barriers through tariff hikes on its goods, a sign the friction between the two trading partners – fuelled by escalating pressure from Washington under US President Donald Trump – is continuing to build. The Ministry of Commerce announced on Wednesday that the Mexican government’s measures to raise tariffs on imports from countries not party to its free trade agreements constitute a breach of trade rules. The move primarily affects... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347881/china-says-mexicos-tariff-hikes-constitute-trade-barriers-after-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347881/china-says-mexicos-tariff-hikes-constitute-trade-barriers-after-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao For much of the post-war era, the architecture of global governance rested on the simple assumption that the United States would support the systems it largely designed and uphold the rules it helped to create. The first Trump administration was no isolated incident. Now, from the vantage point of 2026, amid the US-Israel attack on Iran and the subsequent closing of the Strait of Hormuz, it is quite clear that there is little sign of an appetite in Washington for the US to once again safeguard... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346975/middle-powers-are-taking-mantle-multilateral-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346975/middle-powers-are-taking-mantle-multilateral-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda sharpens and, in some ways, reshapes Washington’s approach to Beijing, blending enforcement with a new emphasis on “managed” trade between the world’s two largest economies. United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer delivered the 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report to Congress on Monday, highlighting a significant shift in the US-China trade relationship. Managing trade with China for “reciprocity and balance” is one... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3345191/trumps-2026-trade-agenda-sharpens-push-managed-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3345191/trumps-2026-trade-agenda-sharpens-push-managed-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:45:28 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union’s trade chief Maros Sefcovic has railed against the bloc’s glacial trade defences, warning that years-long probes and rigid rules will not protect the bloc from China’s increasingly fierce export machine. Speaking in the European Parliament on Tuesday, Sefcovic lashed out at Beijing’s “unsustainable” trade surplus and called for an urgent overhaul of world trading rules to account for “overcapacities”, “unfair trade policies” and “state subsidies”. He confirmed, meanwhile,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344517/eu-too-slow-act-china-rewrites-global-trade-rules-trade-chief-sefcovic-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344517/eu-too-slow-act-china-rewrites-global-trade-rules-trade-chief-sefcovic-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:55:55 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has defended the World Trade Organization’s non-discrimination principle after the United States and the European Union recently proposed reforms that could weaken it – though analysts say the rule would likely remain despite deepening divisions within the global trading system. Beijing called for “most-favoured nation treatment” to remain the “bedrock” of the WTO, in a new position paper on reforming the international body. The rule mandates that any trade advantage granted to one country... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344156/china-defends-wtos-most-favoured-nation-principle-after-us-eu-challenge-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344156/china-defends-wtos-most-favoured-nation-principle-after-us-eu-challenge-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The biggest challenges that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has to tackle following its recent victory in the general election are the country’s sluggish economy, high inflation and unemployment. Speaking at a webinar, panellists said voters would judge the new government on its ability to create jobs, tame inflation and steady relations with key partners, even as they commended the peaceful election. Zafar Sobhan, editor of Counterpoint, said: “Let us not forget this was a key driver in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3344168/bangladesh-faces-daunting-post-election-challenges-economy-garment-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3344168/bangladesh-faces-daunting-post-election-challenges-economy-garment-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:25:11 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao The global order has outgrown itself. The 2026 Munich Security Report describes this moment as a period of “wrecking-ball politics”, in which the post-war order constructed in 1945 is “under destruction”. However, that order was designed for a world shaped by bipolar rivalry and later sustained by American predominance. Today’s global system looks very different: economically diffuse, environmentally constrained and politically fragmented but deeply interconnected by both trade and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343875/its-time-global-governance-reflect-new-realities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343875/its-time-global-governance-reflect-new-realities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen In January, James Zimmerman returned to the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) as its chairman. He previously served in that role for four one-year terms in 2007, 2008, 2015 and 2016. A lawyer by training and a resident of China for 28 years, Zimmerman has witnessed the rise of the world’s second-largest economy, the challenges it has faced and the attendant changes to how American businesses operate in the country. In this interview, Zimmerman assesses the potential of US... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3343317/james-zimmerman-how-us-and-china-can-make-2026-year-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3343317/james-zimmerman-how-us-and-china-can-make-2026-year-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters China on Thursday reduced tariffs on European Union dairy imports worth over US$500 million, in the final ruling of an 18-month anti-dumping investigation started in response to the bloc’s duties on Chinese electric vehicles. The new tariffs ranging from 7.4 per cent to 11.7 per cent on dairy imports from the EU will ‌apply for a five-year period from February 13, replacing the 21.9 per cent to 42.7 per cent range imposed in a preliminary decision in December, as stated by China’s Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343370/china-cuts-eu-dairy-tariffs-easing-trade-tensions-after-ev-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343370/china-cuts-eu-dairy-tariffs-easing-trade-tensions-after-ev-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:54:38 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell If anyone anywhere this week spares a thought for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, it will almost certainly be linked to the Apec leaders’ meeting set for Shenzhen in November. But this is to miss the massive value and purpose of the 21-member grouping inaugurated in Canberra in 1989. To witness Apec’s unique and distinguishing value, you should have been in Guangzhou this week, where over 1,000 have gathered without pomp or fanfare for the first senior officials’ meeting (SOM1). I... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342541/apecs-quiet-cooperation-still-matters-noisy-divided-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342541/apecs-quiet-cooperation-still-matters-noisy-divided-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Countries having cautious reliance on China while maintaining constructive engagement is essential to the future of globalisation in a world where trade is increasingly used as a weapon, according to Canada’s former deputy prime minister. “In a world where the weaponisation of trade is real, we need to be thoughtful about where we’re building economic dependencies,” Chrystia Freeland told the Peterson Institute for International Economics during a discussion about the securitisation of trade and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342437/future-globalisation-less-economic-dependency-china-freeland-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342437/future-globalisation-less-economic-dependency-china-freeland-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:02:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Trade Organization has faulted the United States in a dispute brought by China over US green energy subsidies introduced under former US president Joe Biden, according to a ruling issued on Friday. The global trade body’s dispute panel said that large tax credits granted under Biden’s landmark climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), were “inconsistent” with several WTO agreements and should be withdrawn. That law, which was signed by Biden in 2022, was the largest climate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341903/wto-faults-us-dispute-brought-china-over-clean-energy-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341903/wto-faults-us-dispute-brought-china-over-clean-energy-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:11:56 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru Today, double-digit tariffs imposed by the United States are the new baseline. Breaking decades of low single digits norms, the US rolled out a “reciprocal tariff” framework in April 2025, setting a 10 per cent baseline and layering on higher rates for specific countries. Embedded in the US’ national security strategy, this reorientation leaves little scope for a full rollback and turns global trade into a test of power: of whether World Trade Organization (WTO) rules still bind or leverage now... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341496/trumps-tariffs-reveal-hidden-fault-lines-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341496/trumps-tariffs-reveal-hidden-fault-lines-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick One of the leading scholars of China-Latin America relations, Francisco Urdinez is known for coining the concept of “economic displacement”, a theory that also gives its name to his Cambridge University Press book title published in November. The idea holds that China’s rise has reduced US relevance in the region by making partnerships with Beijing more consequential and ties with Washington less essential for many governments. Now, in the wake of US attacks on Caracas and the abduction of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341536/francisco-urdinez-how-venezuela-tests-chinas-economic-advance-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341536/francisco-urdinez-how-venezuela-tests-chinas-economic-advance-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Beijing and Hong Kong authorities have condemned a resolution strongly backed by the European Parliament to sanction officials and revoke the city’s special trade status to protest against former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s conviction in a national security trial. A spokesman for the foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong on Friday expressed “strong condemnation and opposition” while accusing the European Parliament of ignoring facts and distorting the truth. “The European Parliament has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340895/eu-parliament-backs-sanctions-against-hong-kong-officials-over-jimmy-lai-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340895/eu-parliament-backs-sanctions-against-hong-kong-officials-over-jimmy-lai-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:41:49 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial China and the European Union have reached a trade compromise over Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). Whether that will translate into broader bargaining over other contentious industrial sectors, such as rare earths and semiconductors, remains to be seen. But after years of dispute, the rare agreement over such a significant industry for China may help to ease tensions and normalise trade. China and the EU are two of the world’s largest trading partners with many common economic and trade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340135/china-eu-compromise-over-evs-bodes-well-trade-and-overall-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340135/china-eu-compromise-over-evs-bodes-well-trade-and-overall-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Kandy Wong Xiaofei Xu,Kandy Wong Near the end of last year, thousands of European travellers saw their holiday plans unravel after a prolonged power outage in the Eurotunnel – the underwater train passage linking Britain and France – caused by a fault in the overhead supply. For many, this brought back memories of chaotic scenes the previous April, when rolling blackouts struck much of Portugal and Spain. The United States also suffered from multiple power outages last year, including major disruptions in California – most... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339668/ai-boom-needs-electricity-western-grids-are-strained-power-chinas-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339668/ai-boom-needs-electricity-western-grids-are-strained-power-chinas-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:01:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow The European Union resolved a long-running dispute with China over electric vehicle (EV) production subsidies by opening a way for carmakers to avoid tariffs. Duties will be waived if car companies set minimum prices “adequate to eliminate the injurious effects of the subsidies”, the European Commission said on Monday (see SCMP Quick Digest). Investment plans in the EU and possible limits on import volumes will also be among factors weighed by officials considering pricing proposals. All offers... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339728/china-eu-deal-evs-marks-rare-agreement-frosty-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339728/china-eu-deal-evs-marks-rare-agreement-frosty-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:00:57 +0000 Abishur Prakash Abishur Prakash Last month, Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), the world’s largest battery company, started building a massive joint venture plant in Spain. It came weeks after Spain’s King Felipe visited Beijing, seeking a stronger EU-China relationship as US commitments wobble. Except Spain, electrified by the potential job creation, ran into a problem: CATL wants to bring 2,000 Chinese workers to build the plant. What’s happening in Spain is part of a complicated new showdown between the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336510/complicated-new-eu-china-showdown-quietly-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336510/complicated-new-eu-china-showdown-quietly-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union has formally terminated a long-running dispute with China at the World Trade Organization, centred on Beijing’s alleged coercion of Lithuania in 2021. In a statement circulated to WTO members, the bloc said it was abandoning the case “considering the key objectives behind this dispute have been met and relevant trade has resumed”. The case arose after Lithuania permitted the opening of a controversially named “Taiwanese Representative Office” in its capital, Vilnius. Soon... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3334821/eu-abandons-wto-case-against-china-over-alleged-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3334821/eu-abandons-wto-case-against-china-over-alleged-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:52:26 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng In 2004, Joshua Cooper Ramo, now co-CEO of Kissinger Associates, coined the term “Beijing Consensus” as an alternative to the Washington Consensus, the neoliberal framework of economic policies devised in the 1980s by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and US Treasury. China had just joined the World Trade Organization and, within the country, there was considerable scepticism that a Beijing Consensus existed. Come 2007, and as the global financial crisis broke out – first with the US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333564/rise-beijing-led-global-south-consensus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333564/rise-beijing-led-global-south-consensus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell As South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa convenes the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, two things are likely to be on many minds: the empty chair and the spirit of ubuntu. Wikipedia defines the ubuntu philosophy as encompassing “the interdependence of humans on one another and the acknowledgement of one’s responsibility to their fellow humans and the world around them”. For the purposes of South Africa’s hosting of the G20 summit, that Zulu term means multilateralism – anathema to US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333596/multilateralism-isnt-dead-despite-trumpian-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333596/multilateralism-isnt-dead-despite-trumpian-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:30:10 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Many Western critics of China seem to suffer from the same fallacy as some police detectives and anti-pornography activists who believe that porn turns people into rapists. You may find porn in the personal collections of some serial rapists and sadistic killers, but that’s because statistically, most men and some women also use porn. In something analogous, some critics of China remark that many Chinese public intellectuals and scholars have been turning to Western authoritarian or anti-liberal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333069/dont-blame-china-americas-authoritarian-turn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333069/dont-blame-china-americas-authoritarian-turn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Samuel Porteous Samuel Porteous Regardless of the outcome of the challenge to US President Donald Trump’s powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act now before the Supreme Court, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has made clear the administration will continue to use national security rationales to enact its disruptive trade measures. It was not always thus. Nations have always had national security interests. Major powers have always engaged in espionage targeting adversaries – even allies. But since the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3332888/weaponising-national-security-trade-against-china-us-breeds-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3332888/weaponising-national-security-trade-against-china-us-breeds-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:30:10 +0000 Ayman Ragab,Claudia Hinterseer Ayman Ragab,Claudia Hinterseer China has said it will no longer seek developing country benefits in the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2001, China was admitted to the WTO under special status as a developing country, which brought with it privileges including longer transition periods for implementing agreements and access to trade capacity-building and technical assistance. Analysts say relinquishing them bolsters Beijing’s position as a defender of the multilateral trading system amid Washington’s protectionist trade... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330585/chinas-developing-country-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330585/chinas-developing-country-status?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:24:40 +0000 Ningrong Liu Ningrong Liu China’s 15th five-year plan is more than a policy blueprint; it is a pivotal turning point. This plan and the next one will define an era of innovation-led growth, solidifying China’s status as a major power and peer competitor to the United States. Since the reform and opening-up policy was launched, China’s economic development has had distinct phases. The 1978-1992 period marked the initial stage of opening up. Reform and opening-up was imperative in the wake of economic challenges after the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330435/chinas-transition-global-powerhouse-hinges-more-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330435/chinas-transition-global-powerhouse-hinges-more-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism in international relations, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war. In this interview,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330088/john-mearsheimer-taiwan-us-china-rivalry-trump-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330088/john-mearsheimer-taiwan-us-china-rivalry-trump-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:47:08 +0000 Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin US President Donald Trump has returned to a trademark policy in announcing a new round of trade confrontation that clearly echoes the conflict he launched in his first term. Officially, the trade war began on January 22, 2018, when he imposed a 30 per cent import tariff on solar panels. While such measures are usually justified by noble intentions – protecting domestic industries and reviving local manufacturing – in reality, trade wars are often driven by the desire to seize foreign markets and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328864/given-its-rare-earth-vulnerability-us-cannot-risk-all-out-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328864/given-its-rare-earth-vulnerability-us-cannot-risk-all-out-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Ningrong Liu Ningrong Liu As the world eagerly awaits a Xi-Trump meeting that could signal a potential resolution to the long-lasting US-China tariff war, Beijing has introduced its strictest export controls yet on rare earth elements and the related production technology. The announcement took US President Donald Trump by surprise; he decided to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by a further 100 per cent. From the start of this tariff war, Beijing has shown an ability for long-term strategy, positioning itself for a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328816/chinas-counter-attacks-are-giving-trump-taste-his-own-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328816/chinas-counter-attacks-are-giving-trump-taste-his-own-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski When Beijing announced in September that it would no longer seek the special benefits that come with developing-country status at the World Trade Organization (WTO), some Western media outlets framed it as a concession. Meanwhile, to critics of China’s trade policy, it likely came across as a belated acknowledgement that the world’s second-largest economy should not be treated the same as, say, Cambodia or Ghana. However, China’s logic is far from being understood. Through the lens of Mao... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327951/giving-wto-privileges-china-gains-more-it-loses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327951/giving-wto-privileges-china-gains-more-it-loses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 21:30:07 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell As US President Donald Trump lambasted attendees at the UN General Assembly this week for failing to stop wars and curb illegal immigration, for championing the climate “hoax”, and even for its faulty escalators and teleprompters, his disdain for all things multilateral was on full display. But to the many who believe – or fear – that multilateralism is in full retreat, the past few weeks have nevertheless provided a smidgen of comfort. In February, Trump promised to undertake within six months... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3326894/wto-fisheries-deal-suggests-multilateralism-not-yet-full-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3326894/wto-fisheries-deal-suggests-multilateralism-not-yet-full-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma President Xi Jinping announced that China, the world’s biggest producer of greenhouse gases, will aim to cut emissions by at least 7-10 per cent from a peak by 2035, a day after US leader Donald Trump slammed green policies. China will also boost non-fossil fuels to more than 30 per cent of total energy consumption and seek to expand installed wind and solar power capacity to more than six times 2020 levels, Xi said in a video address to a United Nations climate summit on Wednesday. The goals... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3326828/china-makes-global-leadership-push-us-retreats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3326828/china-makes-global-leadership-push-us-retreats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 09:08:48 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India and China, recently seen moving towards rapprochement after years of strained ties, held separate meetings with Global South countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, highlighting a quiet rivalry for leadership of the developing world. The world’s two most-populous countries had been expected to present a united front as global trade and multilateralism face increasing headwinds under US President Donald Trump’s second term. Instead, their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:11:23 +0000 Dewey Sim,Fan Chen Dewey Sim,Fan Chen In a speech laced with threats against Russia and with little about China, US President Donald Trump’s address at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday may have given Beijing some reason for optimism. According to observers, the American leader’s attacks on Russia over the war in Ukraine signalled his frustration and revealed cracks in ties between Washington and Moscow, a relationship that earlier showed signs of deepening, something Beijing has been wary about. Trump’s comparatively soft rhetoric... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326724/did-trumps-russia-rant-un-give-china-reason-optimism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326724/did-trumps-russia-rant-un-give-china-reason-optimism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:00:11 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi China has pledged not to seek special and differential treatment – a provision of the World Trade Organization granting certain privileges to developing countries – in its dealings under the framework of the global trade body, an action that bolsters the country’s case that it is defending the multilateral trade system amid the tariff increases and other protectionist policies imposed by US President Donald Trump. “China, as a responsible major developing country, will not seek new special and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326655/china-relinquish-wto-privileges-show-support-multilateral-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326655/china-relinquish-wto-privileges-show-support-multilateral-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:04:21 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li Though China moved away from a command economy decades ago, its successive five-year plans have remained a pillar of macroeconomic policymaking. Despite that seeming contradiction, under the 14 plans implemented since 1953, Beijing has turned what was a limited industrial capacity into a scale of mass production that has earned China a reputation as the “world’s factory.” Beijing is now endeavouring to move higher in the value chain and become a global hub for innovation in cutting-edge sectors... https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3326547/how-have-chinas-5-year-plans-shaped-countrys-economic-trajectory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3326547/how-have-chinas-5-year-plans-shaped-countrys-economic-trajectory?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:29 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva used the UN rostrum on Tuesday to excoriate Washington over tariffs and military actions, promote closer ties with China, and call for reform of global institutions – only to be met moments later by an unexpected olive branch from US President Donald Trump, who proposed meeting him next week. Lula’s address came against the backdrop of sharp tensions with the United States, including 50 per cent tariffs on imports from Brazil, which Trump has imposed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326600/lula-rebukes-washington-un-yet-finds-surprise-us-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326600/lula-rebukes-washington-un-yet-finds-surprise-us-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:30:36 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Southeast Asian countries should not be judged harshly on their shifting positions amid the heightened US-China rivalry, Singapore’s top diplomat has said, while emphasising unique “vulnerabilities and opportunities” across the region. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told the FutureChina Global Forum on Friday to avoid binary thinking, stressing that the city state was open for business to all, with China as its biggest trading partner and the United States its largest foreign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326201/singapore-minister-defends-aseans-shifts-amid-china-us-rivalry-dont-judge-too-quickly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326201/singapore-minister-defends-aseans-shifts-amid-china-us-rivalry-dont-judge-too-quickly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:52:55 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The head of the world’s trade watchdog has delivered an upbeat take on US President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariffs – one of the biggest shocks to the global trading system since its emergence after the Second World War – casting the disruptions as a chance to cut supply imbalances, open new markets and spur “reglobalisation”. A little over six months since Trump began slapping new levies on America’s trading partners, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on Wednesday that nearly... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3325922/reglobalisation-wto-chief-finds-hope-trumps-trade-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3325922/reglobalisation-wto-chief-finds-hope-trumps-trade-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:50:28 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As Washington continues to retreat from its traditional leadership role in the post-war international order, particularly under the “America first” doctrine, Beijing has stepped in with a calculated response to the widening vacuum in global governance, unveiling what observers call a “master plan” for reform. China’s newly unveiled Global Governance Initiative (GGI), launched this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, represents its most comprehensive and structured... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:00:16 +0000 Ji Siqi,Ralph Jennings Ji Siqi,Ralph Jennings Chinese carmakers will likely feel the sting of Mexico’s anticipated 50 per cent tariff on cars imported from Asia, but their competitive prices and global operations may offset some of the pain, according to analysts. The proposed tariff hike, more than doubling the current level of 20 per cent, was included in a draft bill on raising levies on roughly 1,400 products – from textiles to steel – from countries with which Mexico does not have a trade deal. The bill was submitted to the Congress of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325223/why-mexicos-tariff-hike-chinese-cars-will-hit-not-cripple-their-competitiveness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325223/why-mexicos-tariff-hike-chinese-cars-will-hit-not-cripple-their-competitiveness?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:00:11 +0000