https://www.scmp.com/rss/506003/feed China’s export-driven economy was for decades the workshop of the world. In 2001, when China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO), it accounted for 4 per cent of the world’s exports, and by 2017, that had risen to 13 per cent. The trade war with the United States damaged China’s exports as tariffs made its goods more expensive for American buyers. The coronavirus outbreak subsequently damaged overseas demand for Chinese products, leading many analysts to predict a huge slump in exports over... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we look at how Trump’s weakened hand could tilt summit talks. When next week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352986/trump-heads-china-weakened-xi-gains-leverage-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352986/trump-heads-china-weakened-xi-gains-leverage-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 14:00:04 +0000 Karen Tian Karen Tian China’s trade with the United States has declined this year, official data shows, as US President Donald Trump heads to Beijing next week for a high-stakes visit that could determine the future of economic relations between the two superpowers. China’s merchandise exports to the US fell 10.2 per cent year on year to US$133.4 billion in the first four months of 2026, according to data released on Saturday by the General Administration of Customs. Imports from the US also declined 10.9 per cent to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352992/not-decoupling-what-us-china-trade-data-signals-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352992/not-decoupling-what-us-china-trade-data-signals-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 11:00:05 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s export sector showed strong resilience last month, with the total value of outbound shipments hitting a monthly record even as the Strait of Hormuz crisis during the US-Israeli war in Iran showed little sign of abating after driving up energy and shipping costs. The value of China’s exports rose in April by 14.1 per cent, year on year, to US$359.44 billion, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Saturday. The reading was above the 6.96 per cent growth... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3352970/china-trade-growth-resilient-april-despite-hormuz-crisis-inflating-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3352970/china-trade-growth-resilient-april-despite-hormuz-crisis-inflating-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 02:52:59 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has moved early to help Laos plan its longest highway, the latest project in Beijing’s push to expand transport connectivity in Southeast Asia. The initiative underscores Beijing’s broader effort to strengthen its economic footprint in the region through roads and railway infrastructure, as it seeks alternative trade routes amid a fractious relationship with the United States. Laos is conducting route surveys for an expressway linking the capital Vientiane to its northeastern border with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352896/how-china-backed-highway-may-turn-landlocked-laos-trade-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352896/how-china-backed-highway-may-turn-landlocked-laos-trade-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 23:00:11 +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 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s international arbitration efforts have made significant progress, but more work is needed to attract foreign parties to arbitrate in China amid US-China rivalry, according to arbitrators and law scholars. China’s newly revised Arbitration Law took effect in March, marking the most significant overhaul of the country’s commercial dispute framework since 1994, in a move to promote cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen to develop into international arbitration centres, competing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 15:45:04 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s shipping giants are bracing for a harsh new reality of persistent global volatility, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz shifts from being a problem of transit delays to a hard volume shock. With the crucial energy corridor still paralysed as the US-Israel war on Iran drags on with no clear end in sight, China’s state-backed shipping majors are doubling down on long-term contracts and creating new multimodal routes in an attempt to hedge against future shocks. Cosco Shipping Holdings,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352902/chinas-shipping-firms-brace-new-era-chaos-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352902/chinas-shipping-firms-brace-new-era-chaos-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 13:30:06 +0000 Kevin Broady Kevin Broady The clock is ticking: the European Union has about two years to decide if it is willing to make the sacrifices and take the risks necessary to become the economic and political power it envisions itself to be. The EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator and Cyber Security acts are up for negotiation within the bloc’s policymaking bodies. In around two years’ time, we will know their final form. Beijing has two years to influence this: that work has already started with carrots – proposals for a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352448/negotiate-china-europe-must-first-figure-out-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352448/negotiate-china-europe-must-first-figure-out-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s rapid technological gains and aggressive pricing are making it increasingly difficult for South Korean firms to find profitable areas of industrial synergy with their Chinese counterparts, according to experts. Speakers at a recent forum in Beijing urged firms from both countries to pivot towards building more interdependent ecosystems in high-growth sectors such as batteries and artificial intelligence, while also calling for the advancement of negotiations towards an upgraded... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352913/how-chinas-sharper-tech-edge-forces-south-korea-rethink-decades-industrial-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352913/how-chinas-sharper-tech-edge-forces-south-korea-rethink-decades-industrial-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 10:30:13 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow US President Donald Trump will bring a scaled-back group of chief executive officers with him on a trip to Beijing next week, reflecting limited expectations for a summit that may be overshadowed by the war on Iran. The White House considered inviting about a dozen business leaders on the May 14-15 trip, compared with the 29 high-profile executives on Trump’s last visit in 2017, Reuters said, citing unidentified people briefed on preparations. Nvidia, Apple and Boeing are among the companies... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352886/trumps-beijing-trip-iran-war-diplomacy-tech-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352886/trumps-beijing-trip-iran-war-diplomacy-tech-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 09:00:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu As the world held its breath over the fate of the Middle East this week, France has been gripped by a very different story: a scandal over a chewy rubber giraffe. Sophie la Girafe, the country’s national toy, has long been a symbol of “made in France” craftsmanship, sold as a gift to newborns across the country. But this week, it was revealed the beloved toy has secretly been manufactured in China for the past decade. Vulli, the company behind the toy, quietly began moving production to China as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 07:56:14 +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 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 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Beijing says it firmly opposes the European Commission’s decision to cut EU funding for clean energy projects that use Chinese inverters, denouncing the move as “unfair and discriminatory” and vowing to take action to defend the interests of its firms. “Without any substantive evidence, the European side has for the first time designated China as a so-called ‘high-risk country’ … this constitutes a smearing of China,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Thursday. It warned that... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352796/china-vows-action-after-eu-cuts-funding-green-projects-using-chinese-inverters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352796/china-vows-action-after-eu-cuts-funding-green-projects-using-chinese-inverters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 12:28:05 +0000 Karen Tian Karen Tian China’s central bank has set the yuan’s exchange rate at its strongest level against the US dollar in more than three years, as Beijing pushes to internationalise its currency and global confidence in US dollar assets continues to waver. The People’s Bank of China set the yuan’s midpoint rate at 6.8487 per US dollar on Thursday, the strongest level since April 2023. The fixing rate, used as a reference for daily market trading, was 6.8562 a day earlier. Analysts expect the Chinese currency to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352735/chinas-exporters-face-test-yuan-hits-3-year-high-against-us-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352735/chinas-exporters-face-test-yuan-hits-3-year-high-against-us-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 08:22:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The EU’s outgoing top trade official used her departing appearance at the European Parliament to pour cold water on the prospect of an investment deal with China, hinting instead that new weapons for dealing with Chinese “macroeconomic imbalances” could be on the way. Sabine Weyand, who is leaving her role as the EU’s director general for trade after a seven-year tenure, said the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment – signed in the last days of 2020 but frozen soon after in a row over human... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352714/china-eu-investment-deal-should-stay-deep-freezer-warns-outgoing-trade-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352714/china-eu-investment-deal-should-stay-deep-freezer-warns-outgoing-trade-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 06:35:20 +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 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma The European Commission is working on a new trade weapon as the continent struggles to contend with a flood of low-cost imports from China. The tool may be presented at a May 29 gathering of the European Union’s executive branch, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. Plans for a China-focused meeting were delayed from last month after the US-Israeli war on Iran prompted a new agenda focused on energy prices. It’s not clear what form the instrument will take. Business groups have been... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3352604/europe-readies-trade-war-weapon-amid-china-export-deluge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3352604/europe-readies-trade-war-weapon-amid-china-export-deluge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 09:02:57 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The European Union’s push to bar Chinese suppliers from its critical infrastructure under a proposed new Cybersecurity Act would cost the bloc a jaw-dropping €367.8 billion (US$431.4 billion) over the next five years, a new study has warned. The law’s vast price tag comes from the need to rip out and replace huge amounts of Chinese hardware – a task that alone could cost €146.2 billion – with other losses stemming from resource reallocation, service disruptions, employment adjustments and legal... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352610/eu-cyber-plan-barring-chinese-suppliers-will-cost-us430-billion-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352610/eu-cyber-plan-barring-chinese-suppliers-will-cost-us430-billion-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 08:59:46 +0000 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 Haining Gao Haining Gao Other economy factsheets: China’s US$1.2 trillion trade surplus Price wars in China China’s energy mismatch https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3352429/chinas-economy-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3352429/chinas-economy-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 02:29:56 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Chinese multinational company Landbridge Group’s legal claim regarding Darwin Port – the first case ever brought against Australia at the international tribunal – is likely to yield a multi-year proceeding, which could serve as a buffer to provide some positive impacts for the Australia-China relationship, analysts said. The owner of Landbridge, Ye Cheng, filed a case with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investor Disputes (ICSID) requesting “arbitration proceedings” over... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:00:14 +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 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s top tech hub, Shenzhen, saw retail sales grow by just 0.5 per cent year on year in the first quarter after reporting gross domestic product growth of 5.8 per cent for the same period, casting a spotlight on its unbalanced development as mortgage and living costs weigh heavily on residents’ sentiment. A policy analyst said the city, in southern China’s Guangdong province, could have already seen retail sales decline if not for the rising number of bargain-hunters from Hong Kong crossing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352367/shenzhens-retail-sales-flatline-export-boom-fails-benefit-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352367/shenzhens-retail-sales-flatline-export-boom-fails-benefit-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:09 +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 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Amid the trade war with the United States, the last thing China needs is an economic confrontation with the European Union – Beijing’s major export destination. But with the EU seemingly determined to protect its market by introducing measures that many see as controversial, an economic stand-off appears inevitable. When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blamed China last June for showing an “unwillingness to live within the constraints of the rules-based international system”,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352160/made-europe-law-sets-stage-economic-showdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352160/made-europe-law-sets-stage-economic-showdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China ordered companies to ignore US sanctions against five oil refiners accused of buying Iranian crude, an unprecedented pushback against American financial measures less than two weeks before a presidential summit. The US action “violates international law and the basic norms of international relations”, China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday. The sanctions cover a refinery in Dalian owned by Shanghai-listed Hengli Petrochemical, along with four independent “teapot” refineries –... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352361/china-says-ignore-us-sanctions-even-trump-visit-nears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352361/china-says-ignore-us-sanctions-even-trump-visit-nears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 09:01:20 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China and Indonesia have launched a new cross-border QR payment system, marking the latest step in Beijing’s drive to build a regional digital payments network as it pushes to internationalise the yuan and reduce dependence on the US dollar. Users can now use domestic mobile apps – such as China’s Alipay and Indonesia’s QRIS – to scan QR codes and make retail payments in either country using their home currencies. Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for the Asia-Pacific region at French... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352360/china-indonesia-launch-cross-border-qr-payments-boost-global-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352360/china-indonesia-launch-cross-border-qr-payments-boost-global-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 09:00:26 +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 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Bai Chongen is a prominent Chinese economist and government adviser. He is the dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management and serves concurrently as vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. From 2015 to 2018, he was a member of the Chinese central bank’s monetary policy committee. Here, he discusses how China can avoid “Japanification”, what Beijing can do to help cultivate the next Elon Musk, and why the “China shock 2.0” phenomenon is often... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352022/bai-chongen-chinas-new-economic-paradigm-and-closing-us-tech-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352022/bai-chongen-chinas-new-economic-paradigm-and-closing-us-tech-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei Beijing’s decision last Monday to block Meta’s US$2 billion acquisition of the Chinese-founded AI start-up Manus came as little surprise. The central government had already flagged its investigation and barred the company’s two founders from leaving the country. At first glance, the intervention appears disruptive to Chinese firms seeking foreign capital and US companies eyeing investments in China. However, a deeper look reveals this as emblematic of a new normal in China-US business ties,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352135/chinas-manus-block-show-strength-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352135/chinas-manus-block-show-strength-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 21:30:08 +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 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Southeast Asian growers can now ship durians to China faster than before using a new cold-storage rail service linking Thailand, Laos and southwest China’s Yunnan province, slashing prices for the pungent fruit. The first goods train laden with durians from Thailand – China’s biggest source of the fruit – began winding its way north through Laos to China over the weekend, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. More than 90 per cent of the world’s durian exports – worth about US$7.5 billion... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352017/durian-express-new-southeast-asia-rail-service-cuts-fruit-prices-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352017/durian-express-new-southeast-asia-rail-service-cuts-fruit-prices-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 02:00:08 +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 Ling Xin Ling Xin A Chinese boycott of the “World Cup of mathematics” this year could be decisive, according to a co-organiser of a petition calling for the event to be moved out of the United States this year. Ila Varma, a University of Toronto mathematician and boycott co-organiser, said the country was “uniquely situated” to act – both as a target of US restrictions and as a major scientific powerhouse. “The Chinese government does not apply sanctions to US universities the way the US government does to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351934/could-chinese-mathematicians-tip-balance-us-conference-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351934/could-chinese-mathematicians-tip-balance-us-conference-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 11:30:08 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell If the “China shock” of the early 2000s was about China catching up, then “China shock 2.0” is about the country redefining the boundaries of what is economically possible across manufacturing sectors, according to Columbia University professor Adam Tooze. Amid complaints about the trade and industrial policies accelerating China’s rise in many sectors – including aviation, space, artificial intelligence (AI), telecoms, microprocessors, robotics, nuclear and fusion power, quantum computing,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352065/chinas-manufacturing-rise-here-stay-west-must-recalibrate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352065/chinas-manufacturing-rise-here-stay-west-must-recalibrate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings One of the world’s largest online travel agencies expects to attract 200 million visitor arrivals to China over the next five years, helping to boost economic growth and reduce the country’s services trade deficit, according to domestic media reports. James Liang, board chairman of online travel agency Trip.com, said the projected influx would help turn China into the world’s top tourism destination, according to reports published on Wednesday. He was quoted as saying that inbound tourism could... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352025/tripcom-aims-bring-200-million-tourists-china-over-5-years-buoying-gdp-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352025/tripcom-aims-bring-200-million-tourists-china-over-5-years-buoying-gdp-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Beijing’s decision to block Meta Platforms’ proposed acquisition of artificial intelligence firm Manus should not be seen as a restriction on foreign investment, Chinese state media said, urging companies in the sector to “go global when ready” and “pursue partnerships where appropriate”. “What stands out from Meta’s Manus deal is that the AI industry is transcending simple commercial logic,” Yuyuan Tantian, the influential social media account run by state broadcaster CCTV, said on Wednesday in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352005/chinas-manus-block-warning-other-ai-firms-global-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352005/chinas-manus-block-warning-other-ai-firms-global-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Holly Chik,Fan Chen Yuanyue Dang,Holly Chik,Fan Chen Senior officials from China and the United States have been “testing the waters” ahead of US President Donald Trump’s coming visit to China by outlining some of their main concerns. Meanwhile, new areas of concern emerged on Friday as the Chinese Ministry of Commerce warned that the United States was threatening the “hard-won stability” in their trade relations after the national telecoms agency effectively banned smartphones tested in Chinese laboratories from the American market. Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352074/china-voices-serious-concern-over-us-curbs-talks-bessent-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352074/china-voices-serious-concern-over-us-curbs-talks-bessent-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:25:17 +0000 Heiwai Tang Heiwai Tang Geopolitics is reshaping the global trade landscape. The old model of free trade is fracturing as nations retreat into protectionism. Yet, amid this shift, China’s economy remains remarkably resilient. The country is shedding its “world’s factory” label and becoming a technological powerhouse. A massive wave of Chinese enterprises is “going global”. For Hong Kong, this is a defining moment. By drawing up a strategic five-year plan and leveraging its unique institutional advantages under “one... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351772/how-hong-kongs-institutional-strengths-can-power-its-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351772/how-hong-kongs-institutional-strengths-can-power-its-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The United States is stepping up pressure on China across multiple strategic fronts, in moves analysts say could strengthen US President Donald Trump’s hand ahead of his planned high-stakes mid-May meeting with President Xi Jinping. But they cautioned that Beijing was likely to remain unfazed because it had already adapted to earlier curbs by reducing its reliance on the American market. US lawmakers in the House Foreign Affairs Committee have advanced 20 new export control measures this month... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351891/chips-oil-and-iran-why-us-raising-pressure-china-xi-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351891/chips-oil-and-iran-why-us-raising-pressure-china-xi-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +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 Frank Chen,Mia Nurmamat Frank Chen,Mia Nurmamat China may gain from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrawing from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), benefiting from additional supply as global oil markets face growing strain three months into the US-Israeli war in Iran, analysts said. The UAE – Opec’s third-largest producer, accounting for about 12 per cent of its total output – will formally leave the bloc on May 1. UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei told CNBC that it was the “right time” to exit, adding... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351849/why-china-may-benefit-uaes-opec-withdrawal-amid-iran-war-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351849/why-china-may-benefit-uaes-opec-withdrawal-amid-iran-war-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is flexing its dominance over the global supply chain – claiming the world’s largest reserves of 14 essential minerals, including rare earths and graphite – while preparing to ramp up exploration through the end of the decade. The Ministry of Natural Resources disclosed the information at a monthly media briefing on Wednesday, vowing that China would continue accelerating its search for minerals during the 15th five-year plan period spanning 2026 to 2030. The message underscores Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351864/trumps-visit-china-touts-mineral-dominance-fortifies-resource-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351864/trumps-visit-china-touts-mineral-dominance-fortifies-resource-security?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Yan Shaohua Yan Shaohua The economic and trade relationship between China and the European Union has long served as a cornerstone of their bilateral partnership. As bilateral trade approaches a historic US$800 billion, this interdependence remains a pillar of global stability despite shifting geopolitical winds. However, the discourse surrounding trade imbalances between the two has become a flashpoint for tension, with reports indicating a goods trade deficit exceeding €300 billion (US$352.6 billion). While French... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351240/new-framework-may-be-only-way-save-china-eu-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351240/new-framework-may-be-only-way-save-china-eu-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s top market regulator is intensifying its crackdown on debt-laden “zombie companies” – rolling out a pilot programme in seven economic hubs to facilitate the forced exit of unprofitable firms often propped up by government subsidies or bank loans. The move signals a broadening of Beijing’s campaign against local protectionism and the low-quality vicious competition that officials say results in neijuan, or “involution”. With a change to China’s Company Law, the State Administration for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351794/china-targets-zombies-regulatory-headshots-kill-subsidised-laggards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351794/china-targets-zombies-regulatory-headshots-kill-subsidised-laggards?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:30:08 +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