https://www.scmp.com/rss/511453/feed Brian Rhoads has been a journalist in Asia and North America for more than three decades, serving in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York and the San Francisco area. He graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Political Science in 1987. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma A Pentagon delegation may visit China within weeks, paving the way for a potential Beijing trip by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday. Elbridge Colby, defence undersecretary for policy, may lead the group visit, which will aim to finalise arrangements for a Hegseth trip among other goals, the SCMP said, citing unidentified sources. It’s not clear when the Hegseth visit may happen. The defence secretary was among cabinet members that accompanied... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/military/article/3354362/us-delegation-may-herald-hegseth-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/military/article/3354362/us-delegation-may-herald-hegseth-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 09:00:32 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin made little progress on long-delayed plans to to build a new gas pipeline between the two countries at a presidential summit in Beijing. There was still no “clear timeline” and “there are still some details to be worked out”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media. The two countries had reached a “basic understanding”, including on “the route and how it will be built”, he said. Putin arrived in Beijing for his 25th visit amid... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3354239/xi-putin-summit-leaves-gas-pipeline-plan-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3354239/xi-putin-summit-leaves-gas-pipeline-plan-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 09:18:39 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s direct holdings of US Treasuries have fallen to the lowest in nearly 17 years, as inflation risks stemming from the war in Iran weigh on global bond markets. The Chinese position dropped to US$652.3 billion in March from US$693.3 billion a month earlier, according to data released by the US Treasury Department on Monday. China’s direct Treasury holdings have fallen by more than half since hitting a peak of US$1.32 trillion in November 2013, relegating the nation from the biggest to the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3354094/chinas-us-treasuries-slump-may-not-be-what-it-seems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3354094/chinas-us-treasuries-slump-may-not-be-what-it-seems?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:05:29 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s retail sales growth surprisingly slowed to the lowest in more than three years as higher energy costs, lower stimulus measures and rising inflation compounded weak domestic demand. Consumer spending rose by 0.2 per cent from a year earlier in April, down from 1.7 per cent growth in March, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday. Economists had predicted a 2 per cent increase, based on a poll by Chinese financial data provider Wind. April industrial output also only rose 4.1 per... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/economic-indicators/article/3353969/chinas-unexpected-retail-slowdown-shows-hormuz-strains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/economic-indicators/article/3353969/chinas-unexpected-retail-slowdown-shows-hormuz-strains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 09:07:31 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Xi Jinping and Donald Trump struck an optimistic tone at the start of their two-day presidential summit in Beijing, even as the Chinese leader highlighted risks surrounding Taiwan. Pre-summit trade talks “produced generally balanced and positive outcomes”, Xi told the US president at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday, according to Xinhua. “This is good news for the people of the two countries and the world.” Trump repeatedly called Xi a “great leader” in opening comments at the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353545/xi-trump-summit-casts-optimistic-light-lingering-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353545/xi-trump-summit-casts-optimistic-light-lingering-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:24 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said he would urge China’s Xi Jinping to “open up” to American business, and belatedly added Nvidia’s Jensen Huang to the list of executives accompanying him on a trip to Beijing. “I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic,” Trump said on social media. “I will make that my very first request.” Huang boarded Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Alaska on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353415/trump-flies-beijing-nvidias-huang-joins-trip-last-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353415/trump-flies-beijing-nvidias-huang-joins-trip-last-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 09:00:30 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said conflict in the Middle East would be “over quickly”, as Iran considered a peace proposal that could lead to the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. “We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, according to Reuters. The president has repeatedly played up the possibility of an agreement with Iran since the war began on February 28, without reaching an... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352743/us-iran-peace-optimism-fuels-asian-stock-market-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352743/us-iran-peace-optimism-fuels-asian-stock-market-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 09:00:25 +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 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Japan and Australia agreed to step up collaboration in areas including critical minerals, defence and energy security, tackling China’s dominance of rare earths and fuel-supply disruptions caused by the Iran war. “Australia and Japan are taking action to protect our economies from future economic shocks and uncertainty,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement after meeting his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, in Canberra. “By working together, we will achieve more... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352493/takaichi-signs-australia-deals-boost-japans-energy-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352493/takaichi-signs-australia-deals-boost-japans-energy-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 09:00:09 +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 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma BYD and Geely Auto, vying to be China’s biggest carmaker, both rose in Hong Kong stock trading as higher exports offset concerns about domestic price competition. Electric-vehicle giant BYD climbed 4.4 per cent on Wednesday even after reporting a 55 per cent drop in first-quarter net income to 4.09 billion yuan (US$590 million), the lowest quarterly profit in three years. Geely gained 2.6 per cent, overcoming a 27 per cent decline in earnings to 4.2 billion yuan. BYD sold 46 per cent of its... https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/china-evs/article/3351847/byd-geely-tap-global-ev-demand-escape-china-price-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/china-evs/article/3351847/byd-geely-tap-global-ev-demand-escape-china-price-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:13:34 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China has stepped up its tech war with the United States, blocking Facebook owner Meta’s US$2.5 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Manus and raising cybersecurity concerns about Anthropic’s new AI model Claude Mythos Preview. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced it was prohibiting the Manus deal in a one-sentence statement on Monday, which didn’t give a specific reason. Meta is now planning to unwind the acquisition, which means untangling... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351705/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-raises-mythos-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351705/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-raises-mythos-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:08:11 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma DeepSeek is touting its ultra-low charges for models unveiled last week, stoking price competition as China challenges the United States in artificial intelligence (AI). Developers are being offered 75 per cent discounts on the newly released DeepSeek V4 Pro. Fees for input cache hits across the Hangzhou-based company’s AI platforms have also been slashed to 10 per cent of the original price. That provides a cost saving for users who frequently make similar or repeat requests. The V4 Pro and the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351567/deepseek-takes-step-away-nvidia-amid-export-curbs-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351567/deepseek-takes-step-away-nvidia-amid-export-curbs-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:07:47 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China plans to commission seven new nuclear reactors this year, as the nation develops the world’s largest atomic energy fleet as part of efforts to boost energy self-sufficiency. The country already has 60 plants in commercial service, with 36 more under construction, CCTV said, citing the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA). The country has the engineering construction capability to build 50 reactors at a time, and has achieved 100 per cent localisation for main nuclear power equipment,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3351145/nuclear-power-revival-gets-boost-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3351145/nuclear-power-revival-gets-boost-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:12:36 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute indefinite extension of a ceasefire with Iran and downplayed reports about an intercepted ship carrying a “gift from China” to Tehran. The US would avoid military action against Iran “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal”, Trump said on social media on Tuesday. He cited a request from Pakistan as a reason for reversing earlier threats to resume bombing if no deal was reached. Prospects for new... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3351006/trump-extends-iran-war-ceasefire-strait-shutdown-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3351006/trump-extends-iran-war-ceasefire-strait-shutdown-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:16:45 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Nvidia supplier Victory Giant surged 50 per cent on its first day of trading following the biggest Hong Kong initial public offering this year, as investor appetite for artificial intelligence stocks weathers uncertainty in the Middle East. The printed-circuit board maker closed at HK$315.00 compared with the HK$209.88 price of shares in its HK$20 billion (US$2.6 billion) IPO. The Guangdong-based company has also jumped fourfold in a year in Shenzhen trading. Victory Giant is the latest in a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/banking-finance/article/3350873/victory-giant-skyrockets-after-biggest-hong-kong-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/banking-finance/article/3350873/victory-giant-skyrockets-after-biggest-hong-kong-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:12:30 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China issued a “strong protest” after a Japanese destroyer, travelling to military exercises in the Philippines, passed through the Taiwan Strait on the anniversary of an 1895 treaty ceding the island to Japan. Friday’s voyage was a “deliberate provocation”, said Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry. The 14-hour passage by the JS Ikazuchi “once again exposes the dangerous plot of some people in Japan to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait and undermine peace and stability... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350723/japan-warships-taiwan-strait-voyage-reignites-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350723/japan-warships-taiwan-strait-voyage-reignites-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:19:52 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Russia can help China and other nations weather energy supply disruptions stemming from the war in Iran, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. “Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen”, Lavrov told reporters in response to a question about the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. He also said that Chinese-Russian ties are “unshakeable in the face of any storms”. Lavrov confirmed that Russian... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3350178/china-cements-russia-ties-both-win-us-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3350178/china-cements-russia-ties-both-win-us-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:49:50 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s export growth slowed more than expected in March, while imports surged the most since 2021, as the war in Iran upends global trade. Exports rose 2.5 per cent, according to customs data released on Tuesday, missing the 4 per cent forecast among economists polled by financial data provider Wind. Imports surged 27.8 per cent, almost five times expectations. A later Chinese new year and high base last year weighed on export growth. The trade balance slumped to a 13-month low US$51.1 billion,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3350033/chinas-exports-slow-iran-war-impact-begins-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3350033/chinas-exports-slow-iran-war-impact-begins-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:04:50 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Next month’s US-China presidential summit will focus on trade rather than investment, reflecting a reluctance to remove all economic constraints, according to the top US trade official. “I don’t think we’re at the point in our relationship with the Chinese where we want to talk about the investment programmes either way, right?” United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday at a Hudson Institute event in Washington. He cautioned against “premature discussions” as the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349526/trump-xi-summit-set-limited-trade-focused-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349526/trump-xi-summit-set-limited-trade-focused-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:33:03 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump credited Chinese assistance after he agreed to a two-week ceasefire in the war on Iran that includes a resumption of shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz. “I hear yes,” Trump told Agence France-Presse when asked whether China had helped to get Iran into negotiations, which are due to start in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday. Iran separately said that it wants China, its biggest trading partner, to be among guarantors of regional peace. The US and Iran both... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3349372/trump-acknowledges-china-help-iran-ceasefire-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3349372/trump-acknowledges-china-help-iran-ceasefire-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:01:59 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said every bridge and power plant in Iran would be destroyed in “four hours”, unless the Middle East nation met a deadline for accepting his demands, including the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. Every bridge would be “decimated” and every power plant “will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again”, Trump told reporters on Monday as he reiterated a deadline of Tuesday 8pm New York time (8am on Wednesday Hong Kong time). Iran must allow... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3349262/trump-steps-iran-threats-deadline-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3349262/trump-steps-iran-threats-deadline-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:12:44 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump tried to sell the war on Iran to sceptical Americans in a televised address, saying that the conflict was “nearing completion” and that there was no need to worry about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. The US would hit Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks”, Trump said on Wednesday from the White House. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages,” he said. He didn’t give a specific deadline for the end of operations during the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/article/3348804/trump-sends-crude-surging-iran-speech-fails-allay-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/article/3348804/trump-sends-crude-surging-iran-speech-fails-allay-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said attacks on Iran could stop within two or three weeks even without an agreement, leaving a question mark over the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. “We’ll be leaving very soon,” US President Donald Trump told reporters in the White House on Tuesday. “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal.” The president was scheduled to address the nation and “provide an important update on Iran” at 9pm New York time on Wednesday (9am on Thursday in Hong Kong). Brent crude held... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3348666/trump-eyes-iran-exit-hormuz-shutdown-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3348666/trump-eyes-iran-exit-hormuz-shutdown-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:01:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China set the lowest economic growth target since 1991 as the country contends with global trade tensions, weak domestic demand and rising debt from white elephant investments. A target range for growth of 4.5 to 5 per cent, “while striving for better in practice” was announced by Premier Li Qiang as he delivered the annual government work report on the opening day of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the annual legislative gathering. That marks a reduction from “around 5 per cent” in each... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345566/chinas-growth-target-cut-reflects-pragmatism-amid-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345566/chinas-growth-target-cut-reflects-pragmatism-amid-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:45:18 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese and US trade officials will meet in Paris at the end of next week, laying the groundwork for President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will lead discussions on trade and investment deals, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified sources. Trump is due to arrive in Beijing on March 31, for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Tariffs, investments, soybeans and rare earths will all be... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345416/iran-war-leaves-china-foreign-policy-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345416/iran-war-leaves-china-foreign-policy-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:16:14 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow China and the United States are looking for ways to revive reciprocal investments, even as conflict in the Middle East casts a shadow over an upcoming presidential summit. Joint ventures, licensing arrangements and so-called intellectual-property-light models designed to withstand political and regulatory scrutiny are among the forms of cooperation under discussion, an unnamed source told the South China Morning Post. The potential scope and structure of investments remain undefined. An... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3345270/trump-xi-trade-detente-weathers-us-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3345270/trump-xi-trade-detente-weathers-us-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:02:45 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Oil prices rose by the most in four years amid the US-Israeli war on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for global crude supplies. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged as much as 14 per cent to more than US$82 per barrel, the highest since January 2025, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Shipowners and traders are largely avoiding the Strait of Hormuz that links the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, which usually handles about 20 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/global-economy/article/3345132/china-faces-oil-squeeze-after-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/global-economy/article/3345132/china-faces-oil-squeeze-after-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:03:33 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced concerns about Chinese industrial overcapacity after meeting President Xi Jinping, as he seeks to rein in a trade deficit that has grown fourfold since 2020. “This dynamic is not healthy,” Merz told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday, according to Reuters. He also highlighted “risks” from the close connections between the two countries, including problems suffered by German manufacturers last year when China tightened export controls on basic computer chips... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344730/china-shock-hits-germany-merz-joins-beijing-pilgrimage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344730/china-shock-hits-germany-merz-joins-beijing-pilgrimage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:07:31 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese consumers boosted their spending by 8.6 per cent in the first four days of this year’s extended Lunar New Year break amid government stimulus measures. Traffic increased 4.5 per cent at 78 key shopping streets in the first three days of the Spring Festival compared with last year’s break, while revenue rose 4.8 per cent, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The nine-day holiday, which finished on Monday, also set records for domestic and overseas travel. The increase in holiday... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3344452/chinas-weak-consumption-gets-lunar-new-year-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3344452/chinas-weak-consumption-gets-lunar-new-year-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:05:59 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China called on the US to scrap tariffs after President Donald Trump imposed new levies to replace those struck down by the US Supreme Court. “China urges the United States to cancel its unilateral tariff measures on its trading partners,” the commerce ministry said in a statement on Monday. “There are no winners in a trade war and that protectionism leads nowhere.” New 15 per cent US levies are due to come in on Tuesday and run for 150 days after Trump used a different legal route to tax... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344330/trump-tariff-loss-win-chinese-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344330/trump-tariff-loss-win-chinese-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:05:20 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma The United States and China are set to extend October’s trade war truce by up to a year when US President Donald Trump visits Beijing, the South China Morning Post reported exclusively on Thursday. Trump would probably meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in the first week of April, potentially after arriving on March 31 for a three-day trip, the newspaper said, citing unidentified sources. The timing is still under discussion, as Beijing weighs scheduling around the April 5 Ching Ming... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343324/us-china-trade-war-truce-could-help-break-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343324/us-china-trade-war-truce-could-help-break-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:20:19 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma India and China opened a new round of strategic dialogue as US tariffs on their exports spur the two Asian giants to broaden global trade ties and move beyond past disputes. Both countries “uphold the strategic perception that China and India are cooperative partners instead of rivals”, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement after Tuesday’s meeting in New Delhi between Executive Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “China and India should deepen mutual... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:07:47 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s roughly 50 electric-vehicle (EV) makers, previously rebuked by the government for excessive price wars, are once again turning to discounting as reduced stimulus measures sap demand. January saw average price cuts of 14.8 per cent for new-energy vehicles, exceeding the 10.5 per cent average for the whole of 2025, according to the China Passenger Car Association. There was a 15 per cent reduction for internal combustion engine models. The revival of cutthroat price competition, or... https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/china-evs/article/3343066/chinas-ev-sales-boom-runs-short-battery-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/china-evs/article/3343066/chinas-ev-sales-boom-runs-short-battery-life?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:32:40 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a landslide election victory, and the nation’s first single-party supermajority since World War II, after a campaign centred on cutting taxes and boosting defence spending amid a dispute with China. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was on track to win 316 seats in the 465-seat lower house of parliament, according to public broadcaster NHK, clearing the two-thirds threshold needed to override the upper chamber. The Japan Innovation Party, an LDP... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3342919/takaichi-wins-election-landslide-amid-china-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3342919/takaichi-wins-election-landslide-amid-china-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:07:18 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Iran in wide-ranging calls with both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as the US president steps up pressure on the Islamic Republic following the bloody quashing of anti-government protests. The US president said on social media that the “excellent” phone call with Xi covered topics including Iran, the Chinese purchase of US oil and gas, and Taiwan. Earlier, Xi and Putin “checked their approaches” on Iran, Venezuela and Cuba among other... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342514/xi-holds-trump-putin-calls-iran-tensions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342514/xi-holds-trump-putin-calls-iran-tensions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:11:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China said Panama risks paying a “hefty political and economic price” following the cancellation of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings’ contract to operate two major ports serving the Panama Canal. “The Panamanian authorities’ insistence on this despite widespread concerns is tantamount to shooting themselves in the foot,” China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a commentary posted on its WeChat account on Tuesday. The decision by the Panama Supreme Court “is legally unfounded and... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3342373/panama-ports-defeat-shows-china-faces-tougher-test-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3342373/panama-ports-defeat-shows-china-faces-tougher-test-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:10:21 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow The last treaty limiting nuclear weapons deployments by the US and Russia expires on Thursday, ending more than 50 years of restraints on the world’s two biggest nuclear powers. Russia has offered a one-year extension to New Start, which was originally signed in 2010 by then-presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. No “substantive reaction” has been received from the US, Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said in a recent interview with the Kommersant... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/article/3342231/china-grows-nuclear-arsenal-last-us-russia-limits-expire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/article/3342231/china-grows-nuclear-arsenal-last-us-russia-limits-expire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:01:31 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Hong Kong’s financial war chest increased its earnings by 51 per cent to a record last year, fuelled by a rally in local and global stocks as well as bonds. The Exchange Fund’s investment income surged to HK$331 billion (US$42 billion), the most since its creation in 1993, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said on Wednesday. Hong Kong’s de facto central bank uses the fund’s holdings to help defend the city’s currency peg to the US dollar. All of the fund’s main investment categories were... https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/banking-finance/article/3341679/hong-kong-regains-lustre-stocks-rally-property-picks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/banking-finance/article/3341679/hong-kong-regains-lustre-stocks-rally-property-picks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:11:02 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma The price of gold has surged 20 per cent this month, surpassing US$5,200 for the first time, fuelled by dollar weakness, central bank buying and retail speculation. The metal jumped 3.4 per cent on Tuesday, the most since April, after US President Donald Trump said that a weaker greenback is “great”. The comment spurred a rush to ditch the currency in favour of “safe haven” gold. Speculation that Trump will appoint a rate-cutting Federal Reserve chairman and general policy uncertainty have also... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3341542/gold-surges-trump-calls-weak-dollar-great?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3341542/gold-surges-trump-calls-weak-dollar-great?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 09:04:28 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to visit Beijing, following in the footsteps of other world leaders seeking to boost trade and investment ties with China without sparking reprisals from US President Donald Trump. Starmer will be in China from Thursday to Saturday, according to a Chinese government statement. He will also make a brief stop in Tokyo, a UK government spokesman said. The first official trip to China by a UK prime minister since 2018 reflects the huge opportunities... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341407/world-leaders-flock-beijing-search-trade-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341407/world-leaders-flock-beijing-search-trade-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:19:45 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China placed its most senior military officer and another top general under investigation for suspected “serious” disciplinary violations, extending a corruption push that has hollowed out the leadership of the nation’s military. Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law”, the defence ministry said in a short announcement on Saturday. Both generals sit on the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military body, with Zhang, 75, only ranking... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3341261/chinas-top-general-ousted-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3341261/chinas-top-general-ousted-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:18:34 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump announced a framework for a Greenland agreement and ditched threats to invade the Arctic island after a row with Nato allies partly over how to respond to growing Chinese and Russian activity in the region. “This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” Trump posted on social media on Wednesday. He also said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he was dropping plans to hit eight European... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/article/3340837/trump-agrees-greenland-framework-after-nato-blow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/article/3340837/trump-agrees-greenland-framework-after-nato-blow?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:02:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma The UK approved China’s controversial plan to build a mega-embassy in London, a move that probably paves the way for Keir Starmer to make the first trip to Beijing by a British prime minister since 2018. The decision, following three delays, moves China closer to constructing the roughly 65,000 square metre (700,000 sq ft) embassy at the site of the former Royal Mint near the Tower of London. Local residents may challenge the decision in court. Starmer is set to visit Beijing and Shanghai from... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3340688/china-mega-embassy-approval-further-boosts-uk-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3340688/china-mega-embassy-approval-further-boosts-uk-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:01:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China boosted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deals 75 per cent last year to a record US$213.5 billion as the country sought access to raw materials and pivoted investments towards Africa and Central Asia. Energy-related projects in China’s flagship global infrastructure programme more than doubled in the period to US$93.9 billion, led by oil and gas developments, according to the Australia-based Griffith Asia Institute. Overall deal sizes also increased as the BRI shifted further away from an... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340547/china-ramps-belt-and-road-deals-amid-us-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340547/china-ramps-belt-and-road-deals-amid-us-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:17:56 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s economic growth cooled to the slowest pace since the pandemic at the end of last year, detracting from policymakers’ success in hitting an annual target. Year-on-year expansion was 4.5 per cent in the fourth quarter, a third straight slowdown amid weak domestic demand, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Annual growth was 5 per cent, fuelled by a pre-tariffs rush of exports at the start of the year. Full-year fixed-asset investment fell for the first time in decades, dropping... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340420/chinas-two-speed-economy-faces-tough-2026-growth-cools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340420/chinas-two-speed-economy-faces-tough-2026-growth-cools?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:43 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow US President Donald Trump will seek critical-mineral deals with other countries, rather than immediately imposing tariffs, as he strives to loosen China’s stranglehold on global supplies. Trump intends to “negotiate agreements with foreign nations to ensure the United States has adequate critical mineral supplies and to mitigate the supply chain vulnerabilities as quickly as possible”, he said in a proclamation released on Wednesday. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3340013/trump-tackles-chinas-rare-earth-grip-talks-instead-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3340013/trump-tackles-chinas-rare-earth-grip-talks-instead-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:04:15 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow China’s trade surplus hit US$1.2 trillion in 2025 as the nation’s exporters withstood the US trade war and imports flatlined amid lower oil prices and clean-energy investments. (see SCMP factsheet). Full-year exports rose 5.5 per cent, aided by a better-than-expected 6.6 per cent increase in December, according to data from China’s customs bureau. Annual imports were little changed after December’s number surpassed forecasts by rising 5.7 per cent. Chinese manufacturers have weathered US... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339818/china-trade-surplus-hits-us12-trillion-even-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339818/china-trade-surplus-hits-us12-trillion-even-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:04:23 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow The European Union resolved a long-running dispute with China over electric vehicle (EV) production subsidies by opening a way for carmakers to avoid tariffs. Duties will be waived if car companies set minimum prices “adequate to eliminate the injurious effects of the subsidies”, the European Commission said on Monday (see SCMP Quick Digest). Investment plans in the EU and possible limits on import volumes will also be among factors weighed by officials considering pricing proposals. All offers... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339728/china-eu-deal-evs-marks-rare-agreement-frosty-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339728/china-eu-deal-evs-marks-rare-agreement-frosty-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:00:57 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow China said it opposes foreign “interference” in other countries after US President Donald Trump threatened action in response to Iran’s deadly crackdown against anti-government protests. “We always oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Monday, according to Agence France-Presse. “We call on all parties to do more things conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East.” Trump will discuss possible... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339587/chinas-oil-risks-worsen-trump-threatens-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339587/chinas-oil-risks-worsen-trump-threatens-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:10:37 +0000