https://www.scmp.com/rss/507515/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Sameed Basha Sameed Basha Markets that seemed initially unconcerned about US-China trade tensions reacted sharply last Friday to US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an extra 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports. Wall Street, driven by AI-focused tech companies, lost around US$2 trillion in value. This increase in dependence on China’s supply chain suggests that any further escalation could trigger a market bubble burst. Mixed messaging from Trump to try to keep China off balance isn’t helping to ease... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328699/trumps-tariff-tirade-nothing-more-hurtful-political-theatre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328699/trumps-tariff-tirade-nothing-more-hurtful-political-theatre?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 12:30:07 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Despite its vague wording, the new China-US framework deal on popular video-sharing app TikTok represents an important step in advancing bilateral talks and keeping ties warm ahead of any future meetings between the world’s two largest economies, according to analysts. And they added that Beijing could potentially try to leverage the TikTok deal by seeking tariff cuts or relief from hi-tech export controls. Officials from both powers confirmed after negotiations in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325752/peeling-us-china-tiktok-deal-analysts-see-layers-leverage-tariffs-and-soybeans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325752/peeling-us-china-tiktok-deal-analysts-see-layers-leverage-tariffs-and-soybeans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:00:16 +0000 Abishur Prakash Abishur Prakash Earlier this month, Anthropic, the American artificial intelligence company, entered the US-China fight. It barred companies from using its AI services if they were more than 50 per cent owned by Chinese entities. This was a double punch – China’s access to American technology hit another obstacle, and the global business world was prodded again to reject Chinese investment. Just a few months ago, Anthropic’s move would have knocked the wind out of China. But the recent Shanghai Cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 22:30:08 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China has slapped American fibre-optic firms with anti-dumping tariffs – a move announced hours after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on a Guangzhou-based chemical firm, over fentanyl claims. The duties, ranging from 33.3 to 78.2 per cent, went into immediate effect and are to remain in place until April 2028, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday in an online statement. Specifically, OFS Fitel faces a 33.3 per cent tariff, Corning a 37.9 per cent levy, and Draka Communications Americas,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324303/china-targets-us-fibre-optic-firms-after-washington-sanctions-chemical-producer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324303/china-targets-us-fibre-optic-firms-after-washington-sanctions-chemical-producer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:00:11 +0000 Christopher Tang Christopher Tang OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned that export controls alone are not an effective strategy to curb China’s development of artificial intelligence (AI). He’s absolutely right. China’s rapid ascendancy in the global AI race is becoming increasingly evident, driven by its strategic focus on engineering, application-driven development and alignment with national policy. While the US continues to rely on export bans to slow China’s progress, this approach is unlikely to succeed against Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3323961/why-us-export-controls-wont-stop-chinas-ai-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3323961/why-us-export-controls-wont-stop-chinas-ai-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,He Huifeng Xiaofei Xu,He Huifeng A week after China said its supercharged rail system has reached speeds of 600km/h (373mph), US President Donald Trump seemingly pulled the plug on American rail progress. In a controversial move being challenged by the state of California, Trump cancelled US$4 billion in federal funding for its high-speed railway project. Regardless of the outcome of any legal challenge, Trump’s announcement highlights the contrasting development paths of the economic superpowers in their rail aspirations, or... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3318627/chinas-speedy-maglev-train-breaks-records-us-ambitions-go-rails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3318627/chinas-speedy-maglev-train-breaks-records-us-ambitions-go-rails?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Gerui Wang Gerui Wang The global frenzy around China’s Labubu, the candy-coloured monster character with the mischievous smile adorning bags, desks, streets and social feeds worldwide, is often hailed as a triumph of Chinese soft power. But Labubu’s success reveals something deeper: the unmatched sophistication of China’s integrated platform economy. Pop Mart, Labubu’s retailer, started with a small shop in Beijing in 2010 but has leveraged China’s unique digital ecosystem in recent years to build a global... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3316496/labubus-rise-reflects-hitmaker-ability-chinas-digital-ecosystem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3316496/labubus-rise-reflects-hitmaker-ability-chinas-digital-ecosystem?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han China is ramping up its science and technology outreach to the Global South while its collaboration with the US on the same front is receding, analysts said on Tuesday at an event hosted by the Institute for China-America Studies, a Washington think tank. “China is very heavily engaging with those countries,” said Caroline Wagner of the Ohio State University, noting Beijing has signed science and technology agreements with “dozens and dozens of countries”. That development marks a “critical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3316563/china-boosts-science-tech-outreach-global-south-its-us-collaboration-dips-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3316563/china-boosts-science-tech-outreach-global-south-its-us-collaboration-dips-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:44:14 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan General Motors, one of America’s top carmakers, leads US companies in its exposure to China, perched in a delicate position as bilateral trade tensions persist amid US President Donald Trump’s steep 55 per cent tariffs on imports from the country, according to a research report published this week. Other high-profile firms, including Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla, rival carmaker Ford, engine manufacturer Cummins, aerospace and tech firm Honeywell, beverage giant Coca-Cola, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3315994/carmakers-gm-tesla-and-ford-lead-list-us-companies-china-exposure-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3315994/carmakers-gm-tesla-and-ford-lead-list-us-companies-china-exposure-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 16:33:47 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China is moving “breathtakingly fast” in space military technologies and posing strategic threats to the United States, America’s top space force official said on Tuesday. USSF Commander General Stephen Whiting voiced concern about Beijing’s growing capabilities in three areas, echoing previous American warnings about a Chinese space-based “kill chain”. “That is very concerning,” Whiting told military website Breaking Defence. The general’s remarks came as space-based capabilities have played a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315846/china-moving-breathtakingly-fast-space-military-tech-posing-threat-us-commander?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315846/china-moving-breathtakingly-fast-space-military-tech-posing-threat-us-commander?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 04:00:12 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced a bill in both chambers of Congress to ban the federal use of China-linked artificial intelligence tools such as DeepSeek, writing the latest chapter in the tech rivalry between the world’s top AI powers. Titled the “No Adversarial AI Act”, the proposed legislation aims to prohibit federal agencies from procuring or deploying AI technologies developed in China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The bill was introduced in the House by US congressman John... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3315838/china-tied-ai-tools-deepseek-face-us-federal-ban-over-threat-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3315838/china-tied-ai-tools-deepseek-face-us-federal-ban-over-threat-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:29:29 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok Where would the United States be without immigrant talent? Some of the country’s leading tech companies, including Alphabet and Nvidia, were founded or co-founded by immigrants. Two-thirds of the tech workers in Silicon Valley are foreign-born. According to research by the Institute for Progress, 60 per cent of the US’ top artificial intelligence (AI) companies have immigrant founders, including former international students. The role of Cambridge, Massachusetts as a magnet for global talent is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3313712/us-crackdowns-academia-will-only-send-global-talent-elsewhere?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3313712/us-crackdowns-academia-will-only-send-global-talent-elsewhere?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick US President Donald Trump has signed executive orders meant to rebuild America’s drone industry, tighten airspace security and boost military readiness, potentially squeezing Chinese manufacturers like DJI and Autel Robotics out of the market. “Immediate action is needed to ensure American sovereignty over its skies,” Trump stated in one of the orders, warning that foreign-made drones were “endangering the public” and compromising critical infrastructure. The orders also call for federal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3313456/donald-trump-moves-block-foreign-drone-makers-selling-new-models-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3313456/donald-trump-moves-block-foreign-drone-makers-selling-new-models-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 22:00:59 +0000 Stanley Chao Stanley Chao It is hardly a stretch to say that the Trump administration went nuclear last week in banning the sale of American semiconductor design software to China. The unprecedented move signals a tectonic shift in policy. The goal now is not simply to slow down China’s semiconductor ambitions; it is to halt them. As with previous, less extreme restrictions, these ones are likely to backfire. They will further isolate the United States from the world’s largest semiconductor consumer market, strengthen... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3312908/us-china-trade-war-goes-nuclear-trumps-chip-software-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3312908/us-china-trade-war-goes-nuclear-trumps-chip-software-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Jeffrey Wu Jeffrey Wu In just two months, we’ve had news that US venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz is reportedly launching a US$20 billion megafund to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) and Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) completed a US$5.2 billion initial public offering (IPO) – the world’s largest this year and a major boost to Hong Kong’s subdued markets. But behind these headlines, venture funding across Asia fell to just US$65.8 billion last year, its lowest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3312938/geopolitics-hits-venture-capital-asia-must-start-funding-its-own-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3312938/geopolitics-hits-venture-capital-asia-must-start-funding-its-own-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang In a stark turn of events, US President Donald Trump has accused China of “totally violating” the Geneva trade agreement. The May 12 deal, which slashed US tariffs on Chinese imports from 145 per cent to 30 per cent and Chinese tariffs on US goods from 125 per cent to 10 per cent, was touted by Trump as a triumph of American diplomacy. Within weeks, however, Trump reversed course, his administration accusing China of failing to resume rare earth exports as promised. Beijing vehemently denies any... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3312776/us-china-rivalry-morphing-multifront-war-no-easy-way-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3312776/us-china-rivalry-morphing-multifront-war-no-easy-way-out?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Elina Noor Elina Noor When Malaysia’s deputy minister of communications, Teo Nie Ching, announced the launch of the country’s “sovereign AI infrastructure” powered by Huawei Technologies’ advanced computing chips and the DeepSeek large language model, she inadvertently set off a geopolitical maelstrom. In the crosshairs of Teo’s announcement was the activation of Huawei’s Ascend chips on a national scale and the planned roll-out of 3,000 of those chips by next year to “form the backbone of Malaysia’s national AI... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3312531/malaysias-huawei-chip-storm-shows-sovereign-ai-fraught-pursuit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3312531/malaysias-huawei-chip-storm-shows-sovereign-ai-fraught-pursuit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jun 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Zhao Ziwen Khushboo Razdan,Zhao Ziwen US President Donald Trump on Friday accused China of having “totally violated” a 90-day trade truce reached just weeks ago in Geneva but later said both sides could “work that out” when he next speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The deal announced on May 12 lowered US tariffs on Chinese imports from 145 per cent to 30 per cent and Chinese tariffs on US goods from 125 per cent to 10 per cent. The Trump administration recently hailed the “asymmetric” agreement as a significant victory for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312523/trump-says-china-has-totally-violated-trade-deal-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312523/trump-says-china-has-totally-violated-trade-deal-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 12:30:24 +0000 Bochen Han,Zhao Ziwen Bochen Han,Zhao Ziwen A senior US congressional Democrat influential on China and tech policy criticised US President Donald Trump’s administration for its rescission of an AI diffusion rule on Friday, calling the move a “horrible idea” that would ultimately benefit China. “They’re rescinding prohibitions on whom we can sell the most advanced semiconductor chips to in the world, and one of them is in the Middle East,” said US congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat and ranking member of the House Select... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3310730/senior-us-democrat-slams-reversal-ai-rule-horrible-idea-helping-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3310730/senior-us-democrat-slams-reversal-ai-rule-horrible-idea-helping-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 21:39:58 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Despite US President Donald Trump’s “landmark” investment deals with Saudi Arabia valued at US$600 billion announced this week, China’s deeply entrenched position in the region is not in jeopardy as the two economic giants vie for influence there, analysts said. China’s manufacturing and infrastructure-building prowess remain formidable amid Beijing and Washington’s intensifying competition in the Gulf’s hi-tech sectors. To be sure, Monday’s announced deals – signed by Trump with great fanfare... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3310380/saudi-arabia-us-and-china-vie-influence-and-kingdom-wins-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3310380/saudi-arabia-us-and-china-vie-influence-and-kingdom-wins-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 21:49:34 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Fan Chen,Ji Siqi Ralph Jennings,Fan Chen,Ji Siqi Beijing’s moderate relaxation of export controls on some rare earths – raw materials essential in hi-tech and aerospace hardware – as part of a trade truce with the US reflects China’s goodwill in striving to de-escalate tensions even as it remains firmly in control of those critical metals, according to analysts. On Monday, Beijing agreed to pause or remove all non-tariff countermeasures imposed since April 2, alongside the lowering of most tariffs imposed by the two countries, for 90 days,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3310310/how-china-adeptly-playing-ace-its-sleeve-rare-earth-minerals-us-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3310310/how-china-adeptly-playing-ace-its-sleeve-rare-earth-minerals-us-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 12:00:15 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would not lower tariffs on imports from China to kick-start trade talks with Beijing in high-level talks scheduled to take place soon in Switzerland, while his Commerce Department said it would simplify some restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductor chips to the country. Responding “no” when asked by media whether he was open to pulling back the levies to pave the way for the negotiations, Trump also said stopping fentanyl from entering... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3309483/trump-says-us-wont-lower-tariffs-china-imports-kick-start-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3309483/trump-says-us-wont-lower-tariffs-china-imports-kick-start-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 22:47:22 +0000 Igor Patrick,Zhao Ziwen Igor Patrick,Zhao Ziwen A new report detailing suspected Chinese surveillance sites in Cuba has triggered a congressional hearing in Washington, with lawmakers warning that Beijing may be expanding its intelligence footprint near US territory and urging the Donald Trump administration to take a firmer stance. Convened by the House Homeland Security subcommittee on transportation and maritime security on Tuesday, the hearing focused on recent findings from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309325/brazen-suspected-china-surveillance-sites-cuba-trigger-us-house-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309325/brazen-suspected-china-surveillance-sites-cuba-trigger-us-house-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 19:35:29 +0000 Ma Bo,Liu Yuhang Ma Bo,Liu Yuhang On April 24, President Donald Trump issued a groundbreaking executive order directing the United States to accelerate deep-sea mining operations in international waters, marking the first time the US government has endorsed the commercial extraction of seabed minerals. This decision intensifies the global debate surrounding seabed resource governance, ecological sustainability and strategic competition – particularly between the US and China. By circumventing established multilateral frameworks... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3308900/trumps-executive-order-boost-us-deep-sea-mining-will-force-china-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3308900/trumps-executive-order-boost-us-deep-sea-mining-will-force-china-act?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 May 2025 12:30:10 +0000 Stanley Chao Stanley Chao On April 2, US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on virtually every country, friends and foes alike. The purported goal was to revitalise domestic manufacturing and create millions of high-paying American jobs. In the Rose Garden, Trump dubbed it “Liberation Day”, to “forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn”. Nearly a month later, it appears Trump’s words have no more staying power than his Liberation Day tariffs, most of which he later postponed. The real... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3308505/trump-cannot-look-past-make-us-manufacturing-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3308505/trump-cannot-look-past-make-us-manufacturing-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick America must re-industrialise and cut its reliance on China in critical technologies such as semiconductors, 6G and quantum computing, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for deputy secretary of commerce told senators on Thursday. Paul Dabbar’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation came as bipartisan efforts mount in Washington to limit Beijing’s influence over global supply chains and emerging technologies. With China expanding its dominance in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3308742/us-must-re-industrialise-cut-china-tech-reliance-says-trumps-pick-no-2-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3308742/us-must-re-industrialise-cut-china-tech-reliance-says-trumps-pick-no-2-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 19:54:22 +0000 China-backed actors “stand out” in threatening America’s energy infrastructure and could disrupt the country’s power networks in the event of a geopolitical crisis, a cybersecurity expert told the US Congress on Thursday. Testifying before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Patrick Miller, CEO of Ampyx Cyber, described Chinese state-backed actors as conducting a long-term strategy to incapacitate critical American infrastructure when bilateral tensions escalate, noting the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3307837/china-backed-actors-stand-out-threatening-us-energy-infrastructure-congress-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3307837/china-backed-actors-stand-out-threatening-us-energy-infrastructure-congress-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:26:28 +0000 The United States and China are not only locked in a growing tariff war that could drag the world economy into a recession but also stuck in an increasingly fierce competition in the field of artificial intelligence. So far, the US is seen as the leader in AI technologies but that does not necessarily mean it can simply declare itself the winner in the AI contest. The so-called DeepSeek effect – the revolutionary impact of the technologies developed by China’s home-grown AI start-up DeepSeek –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3307357/ai-race-against-us-china-racking-real-world-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3307357/ai-race-against-us-china-racking-real-world-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:30:08 +0000 The global military-industrial complex is tightening its grip on geopolitics. China is feeling this shift as its leaders and geopolitical rivals pursue economic security to strengthen defence-critical industries while amassing forces to challenge old rules of engagement and long-established spheres of influence. These realities reflect a world engulfed in warfare. More than 110 armed conflicts are under way. Varying widely in scale, some are recent events while others began some 50 years ago,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3305797/how-chinas-military-industrial-complex-reshaping-geopolitics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3305797/how-chinas-military-industrial-complex-reshaping-geopolitics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Apr 2025 21:30:08 +0000 The United States and Japan are moving to expand their space cooperation beyond civilian projects to include defence and military initiatives, a senior cabinet official from Tokyo said in Washington on Friday, citing moves by Beijing and other Indo-Pacific rivals. The reiteration of deeper space defence collaboration came at a forum hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, as efforts by China and Russia loomed. At the forum, Jun Kazeki,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3306259/spurred-china-us-and-japan-expanding-space-cooperation-beyond-civilian-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3306259/spurred-china-us-and-japan-expanding-space-cooperation-beyond-civilian-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Apr 2025 22:53:27 +0000 Export controls alone will not ensure America leads in artificial intelligence and Washington must boost funding to counter rapid advances in China’s AI sector as well as DeepSeek’s burgeoning global clout, the US Congress heard. During a House subcommittee hearing on research and technology on Tuesday, analysts testified as to the implications of China’s rising tech capabilities and warned of the risks the US faces if it fails to act swiftly. Witnesses cautioned that Beijing’s ability to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3305744/us-must-boost-ai-funding-vie-china-not-rely-just-export-controls-house-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3305744/us-must-boost-ai-funding-vie-china-not-rely-just-export-controls-house-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:03:23 +0000 Despite a torrent of Western sanctions imposed on Beijing and Moscow, there is little evidence they have had any success in altering Chinese or Russian policies, analysts said on Friday. The punitive measures have not convinced China to reduce its civilian-military integration or augment its policies towards ethnic Uygurs in Xinjiang, said Martin Chorzempa of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, nor have they convinced Moscow to roll back its war on Ukraine. “It is very hard to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3303421/western-sanctions-china-and-russia-have-done-little-change-their-minds-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3303421/western-sanctions-china-and-russia-have-done-little-change-their-minds-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 17:50:08 +0000 Southeast Asian countries now recognise they may have no choice but to take sides in the Sino-American rivalry, at least in certain sectors, even as they seek to avoid that dilemma, a US congressional advisory panel heard on Thursday. Moreover, this reality should prompt Washington to adopt a sector-by-sector approach to the region and shape its choices before Beijing does, according to testimony given at the US–China Economic and Security Review Commission. “Increasingly, they are accepting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3303231/us-china-rivalry-forcing-southeast-asia-pick-sides-congressional-panel-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3303231/us-china-rivalry-forcing-southeast-asia-pick-sides-congressional-panel-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2025 21:31:54 +0000 The chair of a US House committee on Wednesday sent letters to six American universities, including Stanford and Carnegie Mellon, requesting information about their policies on Chinese nationals, in the latest congressional attempt to curb the flow of Chinese students to the US over national security concerns. The letters asked the universities’ presidents to provide detailed information about their entire Chinese student populations by April 1, including the names of the universities the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3303065/us-house-chair-asks-american-universities-reveal-info-their-chinese-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3303065/us-house-chair-asks-american-universities-reveal-info-their-chinese-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2025 21:01:50 +0000 A senior Democrat influential on China policy praised US President Donald Trump’s welcoming stance on H-1B visas, relied upon by many technology companies, calling them necessary to keep America’s competitive edge. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has strongly backed boosting the US position in critical and emerging technologies, including quantum computing. “I’m glad that President Trump said that he believes … in H-1Bs, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3302145/us-needs-h-1b-visas-tech-race-china-says-key-democrat-who-glad-trump-agrees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3302145/us-needs-h-1b-visas-tech-race-china-says-key-democrat-who-glad-trump-agrees?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:02:01 +0000 Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer simply a technological innovation – it has become the defining fault line in global geopolitics, illuminating a widening chasm between nations prepared for the future and those falling dangerously behind. The escalating semiconductor restrictions by the Donald Trump administration, pressuring allies like Japan and the Netherlands while contemplating stricter limits on Nvidia’s AI chips, underscore the intensity of the US-China rivalry. However, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3301733/ai-no-longer-mere-investment-matter-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3301733/ai-no-longer-mere-investment-matter-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 08:30:10 +0000 The chair of a high-profile US House committee asked the US trade representative to apply tariffs to all semiconductors made in China and liaise with US allies like Japan and South Korea, even as US President Donald Trump threatens to impose levies on many of those trusted partners. Testifying at a hearing hosted by the Office of the US Trade Representative, John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party said the USTR should “ensure that specific tariffs apply to any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3302002/put-us-tariffs-all-chips-made-china-says-chair-high-profile-house-committee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3302002/put-us-tariffs-all-chips-made-china-says-chair-high-profile-house-committee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Mar 2025 22:14:33 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest producer of advanced semiconductors and a pivotal player in the geopolitical and technological competition between Washington and Beijing, may have dodged a tariff bullet by unveiling its largest-ever US investment this week. TSMC’s decision to invest US$100 billion under a five-factory plan in Arizona over the next four years aligns with US President Donald Trump’s ‘Make-in-America’ mandate, allowing the company to avoid the threat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3301584/tsmc-may-have-dodged-trump-tariffs-lawsuit-over-anti-american-practices-presses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3301584/tsmc-may-have-dodged-trump-tariffs-lawsuit-over-anti-american-practices-presses?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2025 16:35:23 +0000 Beijing was orchestrating a “hacker for hire” ecosystem – involving contract hackers, Chinese tech company employees and government officials – to carry out cyberattacks aimed at stealing data from organisations and governments worldwide, according to a senior US Justice Department official. In a major effort to combat these cyber activities, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment on Wednesday of 12 Chinese nationals, including two officials from China’s Ministry of Public... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3301215/us-says-china-operating-hacker-hire-network-available-cyberattacks-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3301215/us-says-china-operating-hacker-hire-network-available-cyberattacks-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:19:01 +0000 US President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick criticised Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for taking “advantage” of America, as they joined its CEO to announce US$100 billion in stateside investments on Monday. “Today, Taiwan Semiconductor is announcing that they will be investing at least US$100 billion in new capital in the United States over the next short period of time to build state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing facilities,” Trump said. Hailing the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3300910/donald-trump-unveils-us100-billion-investment-plan-semiconductor-giant-tsmc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3300910/donald-trump-unveils-us100-billion-investment-plan-semiconductor-giant-tsmc?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2025 22:05:42 +0000 China’s rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the dynamics of global technology and one of the most consequential shifts is taking place beyond the traditional AI power centres of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. China’s AI influence is expanding across the Global South, from Africa to Latin America and Southeast Asia. With affordable AI-powered products, investments in digital infrastructure and a growing influence in AI governance, China is positioning itself as the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3300271/chinas-ai-push-global-south-not-just-about-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3300271/chinas-ai-push-global-south-not-just-about-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:30:07 +0000 The owner of a North Carolina-based electronics resale business has pleaded guilty to attempting to export sensitive technology with military applications to China without a licence, the US Justice Department said on Friday. David C. Bohmerwald, whose Components Cooper Inc. operates in Raleigh, admitted to violating the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) by trying to ship 100 accelerometers to a company in China. “When used for military applications, accelerometers are crucial to structural... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3300640/us-businessman-pleads-guilty-trying-export-sensitive-tech-china-without-licence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3300640/us-businessman-pleads-guilty-trying-export-sensitive-tech-china-without-licence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:07:07 +0000 The indiscriminate shake-up of the US government under President Donald Trump has made headlines for affecting everything from nuclear weapons safety to programmes that fight diseases worldwide. Lost in the headlines about these ruptures is a small corner of the federal bureaucracy that might seem inconsequential by comparison. Yet the work of the US Department of Commerce agency responsible for enforcing export control regulations – the Bureau of Industry and Security – carries implications for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299961/trumps-us-government-shake-hits-agency-enforcing-export-controls-aimed-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299961/trumps-us-government-shake-hits-agency-enforcing-export-controls-aimed-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 16:25:46 +0000 US President Donald Trump signed an “America First Investment Policy” memorandum on Saturday, ordering the use of “all necessary legal instruments” to curb Chinese-affiliated investments in critical sectors. The order, issued hours after Vice-Premier He Lifeng spoke with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, has sparked concerns among Chinese investors and heightened tensions between the two economic powers. This explainer breaks down the policy’s scope, its implications for Hong Kong and Macau,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3299938/what-does-trumps-america-first-investment-policy-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3299938/what-does-trumps-america-first-investment-policy-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:30:13 +0000 The US must do more to keep Chinese citizens from accessing its scientific research, including barring them from the country’s national laboratories, lawmakers and experts warned on Thursday, in the latest sign of intensifying government scrutiny of America’s research and development systems. “There’s been literally a whole generation of successful efforts by Communist China on stealing stuff,” said Paul Dabbar, CEO of California-based Bohr Quantum Technology and Donald Trump’s former Department... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299527/us-should-consider-barring-chinese-citizens-its-national-labs-senate-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299527/us-should-consider-barring-chinese-citizens-its-national-labs-senate-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:01:23 +0000 Imagine a world where artificial intelligence (AI) agents could act as personal political advisers, negotiate for governments on foreign policy or carry out integrated military operations in war zones. These scenarios are increasingly possible with the emergence of agentic AI. Unlike generative AI – large-language models (LLMs) that create content – the hallmark of agentic AI is its ability to make decisions and carry out complex actions autonomously, with minimal human supervision. Agentic AI... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299013/rise-autonomous-agentic-ai-raises-geopolitical-stakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299013/rise-autonomous-agentic-ai-raises-geopolitical-stakes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:30:08 +0000 This week, I attended the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris. Since 2018, France has identified AI as an important national strategy and devoted key resources to AI research institutes, talent and infrastructure, as well as fostering an innovative environment for AI start-ups. The foresight of President Emmanuel Macron’s government was on display as technologists and business leaders from around the world gathered in France to announce hundreds of billions of euros’ worth of AI... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298416/rethinking-ai-development-maximum-intelligence-vs-useful-applications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298416/rethinking-ai-development-maximum-intelligence-vs-useful-applications?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:00:20 +0000 As the global community grapples with artificial intelligence (AI) governance, a crucial dialogue is emerging on how different nations approach AI safety and development. At a recent Paris AI Action Summit side event, these discussions highlighted the urgent need for international cooperation despite geopolitical headwinds. Drawing on my participation in international AI forums and multilateral discussions, I believe China’s experience offers valuable insights into balancing technological... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298281/cooperation-ai-safety-must-transcend-geopolitical-interference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298281/cooperation-ai-safety-must-transcend-geopolitical-interference?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 01:07:33 +0000