https://www.scmp.com/rss/505682/feed Talk of economic decoupling between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, surfaced amid their prolonged trade war, rising tech rivalry and general geopolitical tensions which have edged up in recent years. Decoupling transcends trade and investment and it could mean a peeling back of goods and services trade, divestment from China and the relocation of the American manufacturing presence out of China, but also a fragmentation of the global supply chain. It is believed a... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hoang Thi Ha Hoang Thi Ha When Xi Jinping and Donald Trump concluded their Beijing summit, the most consequential outcome – for China at least – may prove not material, but conceptual: the adoption of “constructive strategic stability” (CSS) as the guiding framework for managing their intensifying competition. For Southeast Asia, a region often caught in the rivalry between the two powers, understanding what this means will matter in the years ahead. The framework reflects a long-held Chinese strategic aspiration.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3354534/what-china-us-stability-pact-means-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3354534/what-china-us-stability-pact-means-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 03:00:13 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi To address widening trade imbalances across the Asia-Pacific region, surplus-heavy nations such as China should be buying more, and deficit-running economies need to bolster their competitiveness, a top Apec official said on Thursday. “China has been developing significantly in recent decades … [becoming] sort of a global producer for the whole world. But now, the next challenge is for China to become the market for the whole world,” said Carlos Kuriyama, director of the Policy Support Unit at... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3354403/asia-pacific-trade-risks-loom-large-apec-official-warns-protectionism-imbalances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3354403/asia-pacific-trade-risks-loom-large-apec-official-warns-protectionism-imbalances?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 12:30:16 +0000 Michael A. Santoro Michael A. Santoro In the wake of the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, the China-US relationship is, in one critical respect, more dangerous than at any time since Tiananmen Square. The reason is not trade friction, tariffs, Taiwan or geopolitical competition – significant as those are. It is the competition over artificial intelligence supremacy, which will reshape every aspect of relations in the coming decade. This is not just a technological contest. It is a contest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354110/us-and-china-must-talk-manage-dangers-ai-contest-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354110/us-and-china-must-talk-manage-dangers-ai-contest-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s exports of rare earth permanent magnets to Japan slightly rebounded in April after slumping the previous month, but Japanese firms warn they are facing “severe” shortages as a diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo grinds on. Shipments of permanent magnets from China to Japan rose by 2.5 per cent in April compared with the previous month, according to Chinese customs data released on Wednesday. But the modest rise only partly offset the 17.3 per cent plunge recorded in March. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354236/japan-feels-squeeze-chinas-rare-earth-magnet-exports-only-partly-recover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354236/japan-feels-squeeze-chinas-rare-earth-magnet-exports-only-partly-recover?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 10:30:05 +0000 Akhmad Hanan Akhmad Hanan US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing with a delegation of leading American tech executives should not be read as a throwback to transactional diplomacy. It points to something more consequential. After years of rhetoric about economic separation, the reality is becoming harder to ignore: the United States and China are not decoupling. They are learning how to compete while remaining deeply entangled. For much of the past decade, Washington has framed its China policy around technological... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353561/why-trump-took-us-tech-leaders-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353561/why-trump-took-us-tech-leaders-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Mark Magnier,Teresa Elena Frontado,Dewey Sim,Lucy Quaggin Mark Magnier,Teresa Elena Frontado,Dewey Sim,Lucy Quaggin As US President Donald Trump landed back in Washington on Friday after his two-day summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a quick US assessment on one of the most consequential diplomatic visits of Trump’s presidency was: impressive optics, trademark flawless Chinese hosting, but disappointing concrete achievements, according to analysts, industry trade groups and former US officials. “The economic deliverables coming out of the Trump-Xi meeting are way below expectations. In light... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353782/trump-leaves-china-after-much-pomp-and-pageantry-little-show-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353782/trump-leaves-china-after-much-pomp-and-pageantry-little-show-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 22:50:39 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng US President Donald Trump and Chinese officials discussed artificial intelligence “guard rails” and Nvidia’s H200 chips during his just-ended state visit to Beijing. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One during his return flight, Trump said the two sides “talked about possibly working together for guard rails” on AI, characterising them as “standard guard rails that we talk about all the time”. Regarding Nvidia’s H200 graphics processing units (GPUs) – shipments of which have yet to be approved... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353764/trump-xi-weigh-ai-guardrails-nvidia-chip-exports-hang-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353764/trump-xi-weigh-ai-guardrails-nvidia-chip-exports-hang-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 13:45:47 +0000 Frank Chen,Xiaofei Xu Frank Chen,Xiaofei Xu US President Donald Trump said China has agreed to purchase at least 200 commercial aircraft from Boeing, and up to 750 if certain conditions are met – a commitment which would end a nearly decade-long order drought – following a state visit to Beijing, where Trump said a purchase of up to 450 aircraft engines from General Electric was also agreed upon. “We made a lot of great trade deals, including over 200 planes for Boeing, with a promise of 750 planes, which would be by far the largest order... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353749/trump-touting-deal-says-china-buy-200-boeing-jets-promise-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353749/trump-touting-deal-says-china-buy-200-boeing-jets-promise-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 12:24:59 +0000 Ji Siqi,Zhang Shidong Ji Siqi,Zhang Shidong While US President Donald Trump concluded his three-day state visit to Beijing by hailing “fantastic trade deals”, an immediate lack of specifics left some investors wondering if the high-stakes meeting delivered more theatre than substance. China’s benchmark CSI 300 Index dropped 1.1 per cent on Friday for a second straight day of declines, with investors taking profits from a record-setting rally in tech stocks after Trump wrapped up his tour. For the week, the gauge slipped 0.3 per cent. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353655/trump-hails-fantastic-china-trade-deals-signalling-boeing-oil-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353655/trump-hails-fantastic-china-trade-deals-signalling-boeing-oil-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 04:51:59 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Day one of the summit in Beijing between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump opened with a welcome ceremony befitting the importance of the event, and ended with a significant agreement on the future of the China-US relationship. Most importantly, the two sides have agreed to establish a new strategic framework of “constructive strategic stability”. This hopefully will define the bilateral relationship for the rest of Trump’s term. It is not simply the definition of a relationship... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353587/xi-trump-summit-beijing-heralds-start-constructive-stable-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353587/xi-trump-summit-beijing-heralds-start-constructive-stable-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest instalment of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we explore the intensifying US-China legal arms race. For years, global businesses have been struggling to navigate rising trade tensions between the United... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353567/us-china-trade-war-entering-worrying-new-phase-legal-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353567/us-china-trade-war-entering-worrying-new-phase-legal-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 22:00:18 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s government expressed concern over China’s renewal of US beef import licences, warning the move could reshape competition in the country’s largest meat export market. A senior Brazilian government official told the South China Morning Post that the renewal brought “anxiety” to the sector and could affect domestic cattle prices. China is Brazil’s largest beef market, and the quota system already reduces the country’s competitiveness, the official said. The comments came after Bloomberg... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353616/china-restores-us-beef-trade-amid-trump-xi-summit-alarming-brazilian-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353616/china-restores-us-beef-trade-amid-trump-xi-summit-alarming-brazilian-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 20:46:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen “Large Boeing orders” are expected as part of US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday, adding that China and the US would discuss establishing a joint “board of trade” to manage commercial ties. When asked about the potential for deals in what have come to be known as the “three Bs” ­– Chinese purchases of beans, beef and Boeing aircraft ­– Bessent told CNBC: “I think we’re going to see the large Boeing orders.” The agreement, if... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353578/boeing-nears-large-china-orders-trump-and-xi-forge-new-trade-board-bessent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353578/boeing-nears-large-china-orders-trump-and-xi-forge-new-trade-board-bessent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 10:35:16 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As trade wars and deadly conflicts expose Asia’s vulnerability to geopolitical shocks, Chinese policymakers and advisers are warning of an “urgent need” for the world’s biggest trading bloc to reshape regional energy and manufacturing supply chains. Members of the Beijing-backed Asia-Pacific framework must reduce their reliance on vulnerable shipping routes and use the certainty of collaboration to offset growing geopolitical uncertainty, the experts urged at a forum in China’s southern island... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353401/reshaping-rcep-china-advisers-urge-trade-overhaul-shield-bloc-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353401/reshaping-rcep-china-advisers-urge-trade-overhaul-shield-bloc-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 07:11:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese and US trade delegations meeting in South Korea today are expected to focus on locking in deliverables for this week’s summit in Beijing rather than engaging in substantive negotiations, analysts said, as both sides race through talks hours before US President Donald Trump’s planned arrival in China. The two teams, led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, will meet in Seoul for one day, a departure from previous rounds that stretched over two days across... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353377/china-and-us-teams-race-find-easy-summit-deliverables-meeting-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353377/china-and-us-teams-race-find-easy-summit-deliverables-meeting-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 04:59:47 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The United States announced on Tuesday that it would send a delegation to the second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and related meetings in China this month, just hours after US President Donald Trump departed for Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The US delegation will head to Shanghai and Suzhou from May 11 to 24 to “continue advancing ‘America first’ foreign, trade, and investment policies,” according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353339/us-confirms-delegation-apec-meeting-china-hours-after-trump-sets-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353339/us-confirms-delegation-apec-meeting-china-hours-after-trump-sets-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 23:22:51 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Ann Cao Sylvia Ma,Ann Cao When US President Donald Trump’s delegation touches down in Beijing on Wednesday night, he looks to be flanked by a cadre of corporate executives, headlined by a man seen by much of the Chinese public as the most familiar American entrepreneur of his generation: Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX chief’s presence alongside Trump for meetings with President Xi Jinping adds a distinctive commercial and personal layer to a diplomatically delicate trip. “Musk’s inclusion in Trump’s China delegation has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353293/elon-musk-joins-trumps-beijing-delegation-natural-bridge-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353293/elon-musk-joins-trumps-beijing-delegation-natural-bridge-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu The next round of US-China trade talks appears to be a rushed precursor intended to set the stage for President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, according to analysts who expect only modest deliverables from the negotiations. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng will meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in South Korea this week, both sides have confirmed, marking the latest in a series of diplomatic sprints intended to stabilise the world’s most consequential economic relationship. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353174/us-china-negotiations-seek-quick-seoul-search-deals-ahead-trumps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353174/us-china-negotiations-seek-quick-seoul-search-deals-ahead-trumps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump filed an appeal on Friday after the latest legal setback to his signature tariff policy, piling on more chaos and global uncertainty and setting up a new tussle over billions of US dollars in refunds. The appeal follows a decision on Thursday by the US Court of International Trade that invalidated his use of a Section 122 trade provision that saw him slap 10 per cent import taxes on nearly every country on earth. In its ruling, the court found that he failed to meet the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352965/trump-appeals-latest-court-loss-tariffs-chaos-and-uncertainty-amp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352965/trump-appeals-latest-court-loss-tariffs-chaos-and-uncertainty-amp?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 22:29:53 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called for stability with Beijing days before US President Donald Trump’s closely watched trip to China, saying the US was not out to reshape the Chinese economy but to rebalance trade. The trade chief told Fox News on Friday that while the world’s two largest economies “always had a really robust trading relationship … it’s been wildly unbalanced with China exporting just vast amounts of goods to the United States and largely blocking a lot of US imports... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352961/trump-trade-chief-says-us-wants-balanced-trade-not-change-chinas-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352961/trump-trade-chief-says-us-wants-balanced-trade-not-change-chinas-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 18:57:54 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin At a New York City ballroom late last month, a crowd of hi-tech luminaries gathered at an honours ceremony. The biggest draw for the assembled tech geniuses was Nvidia founder Jensen Huang, the superstar head of one of the world’s most valuable companies, set to receive the night’s top award. In some ways, engineers have been at the centre of every industrial revolution, Huang told the crowd, from steam to electricity to information technology. But this one, artificial intelligence (AI), will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352950/china-and-us-ai-revolution-race-tech-rivals-battle-global-supremacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352950/china-and-us-ai-revolution-race-tech-rivals-battle-global-supremacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 14:01:56 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that his country’s rare earth reserves are open to investment from China and any other nation willing to process the minerals on Brazilian soil, resisting pressure to side with Washington in its contest with Beijing over critical mineral supply chains. “We have no preference. What we want is to share with whoever wants to invest in Brazil,” Lula said at a press conference at the Brazilian embassy in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352824/lula-wont-sideline-china-or-anyone-rare-earths-tells-trump-refining-stays-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352824/lula-wont-sideline-china-or-anyone-rare-earths-tells-trump-refining-stays-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 23:01:58 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The Trump administration has expanded its pressure campaign against Cuba into the critical minerals sector, sanctioning a nickel joint venture tied to Canadian miner Sherritt International in a move that could reverberate through China-linked battery supply chains. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Thursday against Moa Nickel SA, a joint venture between Sherritt and Cuba’s state-owned General Nickel Company, as part of a broader effort targeting Havana’s military-controlled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352815/us-targets-cuba-nickel-operation-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352815/us-targets-cuba-nickel-operation-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 18:15:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Beijing’s study of the wars in Iran and Ukraine could sharpen its ability to wage information warfare against Americans during a Taiwan Strait conflict, exposing vulnerabilities in US preparedness, experts said on Wednesday. S. Clinton Hinote, a retired US Lieutenant General, said he was “impressed” with the propaganda coming out of Iran since the outbreak of the war in February, warning that Beijing would deploy similar tactics if conflict erupts over Taiwan. “That’s coming,” he told a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 17:00:29 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China made Brazil its top global investment destination last year, pouring US$6.1 billion into the country across a record 52 projects. The figures come from the China-Brazil Business Council (CBBC), which released its annual report on Thursday. The 45 per cent jump in value from the previous year far outpaced the 4.8 per cent rise in total foreign investment into Brazil. It also dwarfed China’s worldwide outbound flows, which grew just 1.3 per cent. Brazil absorbed 10.9 per cent of all Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352676/china-pours-us61b-brazil-making-it-beijings-top-investment-worldwide-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352676/china-pours-us61b-brazil-making-it-beijings-top-investment-worldwide-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 14:30:05 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The scheduled summit next week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will almost certainly include proclamations about cooperation, friendship and respect between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies, but beneath the surface, major trade conflict is building, said trade experts on Wednesday. In the past, a weaker China was forced to grit its teeth and grudgingly accept US tariffs, export restrictions and other restrictions, but Beijing has quietly and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352674/trump-xi-summit-hides-simmering-trade-tensions-under-surface-industry-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352674/trump-xi-summit-hides-simmering-trade-tensions-under-surface-industry-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 21:11:48 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s top diplomat on the US-Mexico border denounced protectionism as a dead end at the weekend, delivering a pointed defence of open trade just weeks before Mexico, the United States and Canada sit down to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that governs North American commerce. Consul General Fu Xinrong told a business gathering in Tijuana that unilateralism benefits no one and called on nations to build economic ties based on sovereignty and mutual respect rather than... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352418/chinas-consul-tijuana-calls-protectionism-dead-end-trade-tensions-us-escalate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352418/chinas-consul-tijuana-calls-protectionism-dead-end-trade-tensions-us-escalate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 19:40:46 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The US-Israel war on Iran could bolster Beijing’s leverage on issues such as hi-tech supply chains and Taiwan during the coming Trump-Xi summit, according to American experts. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, next week. “He’s not going to move to reschedule it,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, after Trump confirmed on Friday that his visit would take place as scheduled. The summit, expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352399/iran-war-could-give-xi-upper-hand-meeting-trump-us-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352399/iran-war-could-give-xi-upper-hand-meeting-trump-us-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings US technology companies should stay in China, despite persistent political pressure for their exit, to capitalise on revenue potential and stifle local competition while monitoring consumer trends, according to a Washington-based policy think tank. Sales generated by American firms within China can be reinvested in research and development back in the United States, thereby helping “sustain US innovation leadership”, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) said in a new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352371/us-tech-can-use-china-listening-post-global-edge-washington-think-tank-explains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352371/us-tech-can-use-china-listening-post-global-edge-washington-think-tank-explains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new financing facility aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains across the Asia-Pacific region, as a global push to loosen China’s chokehold over the sector continues. The initiative is designed to help Asia-Pacific nations move up the critical minerals value chain – moving beyond just mining – by equipping them with the technical capabilities to process and recycle the materials, according to the ADB. “Asia and the Pacific should be... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 08:15:00 +0000 Holly Chik,Alyssa Chen Holly Chik,Alyssa Chen US President Donald Trump said he is still planning to travel to China as scheduled this month despite the stalemate in the negotiations with Iran. When asked about the trip to Beijing, Trump told reporters on Friday: “It is going to be amazing. The visit with China and Chairman Xi [Jinping] – that’s going to be great. “We have the trip with China coming up. And I think it will be an amazing event.” Trump had initially planned to visit Beijing in late March, but put the trip back to May 14 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352220/china-trip-will-go-ahead-planned-and-it-will-be-amazing-trump-insists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352220/china-trip-will-go-ahead-planned-and-it-will-be-amazing-trump-insists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 10:02:17 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected six of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said in April after police dismantled the network... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The two-month war with Iran has cost about US$25 billion, a Pentagon official told lawmakers on Wednesday, as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a record US$1.5 trillion military budget that faces backlash from Democrats. At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Jules Hurst, the Pentagon’s chief financial officer, offered the first official estimate of the cost of the war in Iran. He said that most of the US$25 billion in spending went towards ammunition, but the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351905/iran-war-price-tag-hits-us25-billion-hegseth-defends-record-pentagon-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351905/iran-war-price-tag-hits-us25-billion-hegseth-defends-record-pentagon-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:14:32 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A press photo of a US protective agent responding to a gunman breaching security during last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has ignited debate within America’s firearms community. The controversy centres not on the agent’s actions, but on what appeared to be a Chinese-made Holosun red dot sight mounted on her Glock pistol. The image, which spread rapidly across firearms forums after being shared on social media, shows a plain-clothes agent with her weapon drawn as US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351850/are-us-agents-around-trump-armed-chinese-red-dot-sights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351850/are-us-agents-around-trump-armed-chinese-red-dot-sights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Over 70 Democrats on Tuesday urged US President Donald Trump to keep Chinese carmakers out of America, warning of “irreversible” consequences, just weeks ahead of his high-stakes trip to Beijing to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping. “We must not cede the American auto industry to a strategic competitor intent on global dominance,” a letter, signed by 73 House Democrats led by US Representative Debbie Dingell, said. “The consequences for American workers, our supply chains, our national... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351765/democrats-urge-trump-keep-ban-chinese-cars-us-xi-meeting-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351765/democrats-urge-trump-keep-ban-chinese-cars-us-xi-meeting-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:42:13 +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 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu As one of the world’s largest automotive glass producers, and the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, Fuyao Glass is a familiar name in the United States. Now, its founder has warned he is prepared to shut down his American plants if trade friction and tariffs cause severe losses. Responding to questions regarding geopolitical risks at the company’s annual general meeting, Cao Dewang said that the company would not engage in loss-making ventures. “How much in duties you want to impose is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351347/billionaire-behind-american-factory-firm-warns-us-exit-amid-trade-friction-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351347/billionaire-behind-american-factory-firm-warns-us-exit-amid-trade-friction-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng,Coco Feng Iris Deng,Coco Feng In the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, a simmering rivalry between DJI and Insta360 has transformed their shared neighbourhood into a high-stakes corporate battleground. Both companies have long been hailed as the city’s poster children for Chinese innovation. DJI dominated the skies as the world’s undisputed leader in consumer drones, and Insta360 captured the niche market of panoramic cameras. Now they find themselves locked in a crosstown struggle for market supremacy that some say could... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351291/dji-duels-insta360-china-sharpens-global-hardware-edge-amid-us-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351291/dji-duels-insta360-china-sharpens-global-hardware-edge-amid-us-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Senator Steve Daines will lead a bipartisan US Congressional delegation to China next week, just ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump. The five-member group will arrive on May 1 and visit Beijing and Shanghai, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. The delegation will include first-time visitors to China, the report said, without elaboration. Daines, a Trump ally, said last month that he planned to take a group to China to explore the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351305/trump-ally-visits-china-deepseek-releases-v4-ev-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351305/trump-ally-visits-china-deepseek-releases-v4-ev-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:05:56 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US lawmakers have advanced 20 new export control measures – including the controversial Match Act – to further restrict Chinese access to US technology and bar Chinese chipmakers from gaining access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In the latest salvo in the US-China tech war, the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday passed the measures through the committee stage to be deliberated by the rest of the House, describing the action as the “largest significant export... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351199/tech-war-us-congress-rolls-out-largest-export-control-upgrade-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351199/tech-war-us-congress-rolls-out-largest-export-control-upgrade-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:26 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US visa system rolls out the “red carpet” for spies and aids China’s alleged efforts to steal American innovation, senators charged at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as Washington and Beijing intensify competition for dominance in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. Through its permissive legal channels, the US is “inviting, welcoming, come on in with the red carpet rolled out” people who steal military and commercial secrets, Republican Senator Ashley Moody of Florida... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:37:28 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The West’s narrative of Chinese “overcapacity” is a double standard, said a former chief economist of the World Bank as he urged advanced economies to draw on “Eastern wisdom” rather than protectionism to navigate the rise of hi-tech competition. Justin Lin Yifu, a prominent advocate of Beijing’s industrial policy, dismissed claims that China’s auto-export surge was a sign of industrial imbalance. Speaking at Hong Kong Chu Hai College, Lin drew a contrast with Germany to expose a logical... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350885/economist-justin-lin-urges-west-adopt-eastern-wisdom-china-moves-value-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350885/economist-justin-lin-urges-west-adopt-eastern-wisdom-china-moves-value-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan For Tim Avanzato and the team at Lanca Sales, Monday marked the start of a high-stakes digital scramble to recover tariffs paid after US President Donald Trump imposed steep duties on almost all imports, including from China, last year. While the New Jersey-based company that imports and exports food packaging has become accustomed to operating under tariffs and adjusting its business around them, Avanzato, who handles global trade and logistics at the firm, said the refund process has... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350794/us-firms-dash-recover-tariffs-paid-chinese-imports-refund-system-launches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350794/us-firms-dash-recover-tariffs-paid-chinese-imports-refund-system-launches?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:11:14 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s central bank chief has urged the IMF to serve as a bulwark against “rising unilateralism”, at a time when escalating trade restrictions and an intensified Middle East conflict threaten energy and food security. The International Monetary Fund should “take a clear stand against protectionism and defend multilateralism”, People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng said in a statement to the fund’s International Monetary and Financial Committee, for its 53rd meeting, held on Thursday and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350718/china-presses-imf-quota-reform-better-surveillance-advanced-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350718/china-presses-imf-quota-reform-better-surveillance-advanced-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:05:04 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin At a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, lawmakers and experts accused China of buying “what they can” and stealing “what they cannot” in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, while warning the United States’ immigration and research policies could be hindering innovation necessary to stay ahead. “The pattern is clear. China is dependent on our tech stack to continue their AI development. China is willing to buy what they can, and steal what they cannot, to advance their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:26:36 +0000 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 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong A decoupling between China and the United States is something “that you don’t want to see”, says former US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, adding that both countries have developed deep trade and investment relationships that should be preserved and encouraged to thrive. Speaking in Hong Kong at the HSBC Global Investment Summit on Wednesday, Yellen also argued that China’s reliance on exports for growth – resulting in a trade surplus with the rest of the world – has created “serious conflicts”... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350169/yellen-says-no-alternative-dollar-urges-us-china-cooperation-sake-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350169/yellen-says-no-alternative-dollar-urges-us-china-cooperation-sake-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is gaining from America’s trillion-dollar artificial intelligence spending spree despite Washington’s efforts to curb Chinese technology ties, as the US data centre boom ripples through Asian technology supply chains, according to research by Oxford Economics. Roughly US$2 trillion worth of data-centre projects are planned or under way in the US, according to a report by the consultancy, with as much as three-quarters of the cost tied to equipment such as semiconductors and servers. That... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350010/china-quietly-profits-us-ai-boom-despite-washingtons-tech-curbs-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350010/china-quietly-profits-us-ai-boom-despite-washingtons-tech-curbs-research?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:08 +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 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