https://www.scmp.com/rss/517750/feed Jacques was the first director of SCMP Plus, the South China Morning Post's premium analysis and opinion platform aimed at China watchers and business leaders. He joined SCMP in late 2023 and departed in late April 2025, just ahead of the one-year anniversary of SCMP Plus' launch. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jacques van Wersch Jacques van Wersch Chinese President Xi Jinping convened a Politburo study session on Friday aimed at underlining the importance of artificial intelligence to the country’s development. The study session was held on the same day as the top policymaking body’s monthly meeting, with the latter emphasising the need to boost efforts to help keep the world’s No 2 economy humming. The Politburo meeting also highlighted the importance of “high quality development” – a phrase favoured by Xi and a reference to unleashing... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3308360/chinas-politburo-doubles-down-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3308360/chinas-politburo-doubles-down-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:00:14 +0000 US President Donald Trump may be readying to substantially reduce the 145 per cent tariffs that he added to Chinese imports even before the start of any substantive talks with Beijing. On Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit that he expected progress in the US-China trade war, saying “No one thinks the current status quo is sustainable, at 145 and 125 [per cent], so I would posit that over the very near future, there will be a de-escalation.” The 125... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3307721/trump-telegraphs-plan-back-down-china-tariffs-talks-even-begin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3307721/trump-telegraphs-plan-back-down-china-tariffs-talks-even-begin?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:07:08 +0000 SCMP Plus, the South China Morning Post’s premium subscription service, won a top honour on Wednesday in recognition of its innovative approach to giving readers more context and analysis on China-related topics. The gold in the digital subscription/reader revenue project category was one of two top awards picked up by the Post at the Digital Media Awards Asia in Kuala Lumpur. Morning Studio, the Post’s commercial content arm, got top prize in its category for a project with Cathay Pacific’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3307687/scmp-plus-wins-gold-digital-media-awards-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3307687/scmp-plus-wins-gold-digital-media-awards-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 07:00:20 +0000 Beijing highlighted “constructive” relations with the Vatican under Pope Francis in sending condolences on Tuesday after the pontiff’s death a day earlier. China and the Holy See made advances in recent years, notably signing a provisional agreement in 2018 on the appointment of bishops in China. This was most recently extended by four years in 2024. Still, China is yet to persuade the Vatican to switch official diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China, or Taiwan, to the People’s... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3307593/china-vatican-relations-uncertain-cardinals-prepare-select-successor-pope-francis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3307593/china-vatican-relations-uncertain-cardinals-prepare-select-successor-pope-francis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 09:09:32 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has spent the week in Southeast Asia, with a dual mission of celebrating diplomatic ties and shoring up relations with some of the countries that were hardest hit by US President Donald Trump’s now-paused “reciprocal” tariffs. Xi met Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam in Hanoi on Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday and Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni in Phnom Penh. Cambodia’s trade surplus with the US earned it the highest... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306861/asean-trip-gives-chinas-xi-chance-win-over-nations-targeted-us-paused-tariff-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306861/asean-trip-gives-chinas-xi-chance-win-over-nations-targeted-us-paused-tariff-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:00:44 +0000 China’s GDP grew by 5.4 per cent in the first quarter, helped by strong industrial output and retail sales, but analysts are generally pessimistic about the likelihood that the economy will continue to exceed expectations in the face of US-China decoupling. Most of the many data points that the National Bureau of Statistics released on Wednesday alongside GDP were better than expected, continuing the trend seen in Monday’s outperforming trade data. Following is a summary of data released on... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306744/china-gdp-beats-expectations-how-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306744/china-gdp-beats-expectations-how-long?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:00:08 +0000 Chinese exports rose sharply in March, defying headwinds that analysts say are likely to pressure trade in the months to come. Imports fell, continuing a slide over the first two months of the year. Exports rose by 12.4 per cent on year, while imports declined by 4.3 per cent. Over the first three months of the year, exports rose by 5.8 per cent and imports fell by 7.0 per cent. The biggest obstacle as of March was the additional 20 per cent in tariffs levied on Chinese imports into the United... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306537/chinas-march-exports-gain-rush-beat-higher-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306537/chinas-march-exports-gain-rush-beat-higher-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:01:20 +0000 US President Donald Trump took another step back in the trade war he started with China on Friday, announcing partial tariff exemptions for items including smartphones, laptop computers and machines used to make semiconductors. China’s Ministry of Commerce welcomed the move as “a small step by the US towards rectifying the misguided approach of unilateral ‘reciprocal tariffs’” and called on Washington to abandon the levies, which it called “erroneous”. Nevertheless, the Trump administration... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306388/trump-blinks-again-tariff-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3306388/trump-blinks-again-tariff-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 09:09:37 +0000 Clarification: We have made changes in this Daily Pulse to reflect a clarification from the White House that the 125 per cent of additional tariffs on Chinese goods announced on Wednesday didn’t include fentanyl-related tariffs adding up to 20 per cent that went into effect in February and March. After starting an unpopular, multipronged global trade war last week, US President Donald Trump suspended the most egregious of his “reciprocal” tariffs for 90 days on Wednesday but raised tariffs on... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305936/battle-royale-gives-way-clash-titans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305936/battle-royale-gives-way-clash-titans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:03:16 +0000 Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs that went into effect (at noon on Wednesday, Hong Kong time), global share markets fell in anticipation of the likely inflationary and recessionary impact. US markets have gyrated since April 2, with investors buying on rumours that Trump may pause his massive tariff programme and selling once the rumours are quashed in the market of trading ideas. US stock indices are mostly down around 10 per cent since April 2. Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305803/stock-winners-hard-find-trump-20-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305803/stock-winners-hard-find-trump-20-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Apr 2025 09:02:26 +0000 Any hopes that Beijing would over the next few weeks focus on negotiating with Washington over the magnitude of tariffs that US President Trump will end up levying on Chinese goods were dashed two days after Trump’s “Liberation Day”, when Beijing responded in kind. Trump’s latest salvo – a promise of 50 per cent more tariffs on Chinese goods unless Beijing immediately withdraws countervailing tariffs it announced on Friday – shows that both sides are deeply entrenched. Trump said the new tariffs... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305606/us-and-china-follow-decoupling-path?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305606/us-and-china-follow-decoupling-path?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:00:49 +0000 China’s tit-for-tat response to US President Donald Trump’s universal tariffs wasn’t immediate, but it was forceful and relatively quick: The State Council announced on Friday that it would slap 34 per cent in additional tariffs on US goods, effective April 10. This matches the 34 per cent in additional tariffs that Trump announced on Wednesday. As other countries line up to negotiate better terms (more than 50, the White House has claimed), Beijing is taking a harder line, with countervailing... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305446/china-strikes-back-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305446/china-strikes-back-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Apr 2025 09:00:32 +0000 Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on Friday, April 4 as markets are closed for the Qing Ming Festival (清明节). We will resume publishing on Monday, April 7. After promising weeks ago an announcement of so-called reciprocal tariffs set for what he called “Liberation Day”, US President Donald Trump delivered on Wednesday, framing exorbitant and disruptive tariffs as being only half as onerous as they could be. Brandishing a poster titled “Reciprocal Tariffs”, with China in the top row,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305000/us-assess-additional-34-tariffs-china-20-eu-ending-suspense-over-start-global-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3305000/us-assess-additional-34-tariffs-china-20-eu-ending-suspense-over-start-global-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Apr 2025 09:03:56 +0000 Beijing launched a series of drills around Taiwan on Tuesday aimed at practising its ability to effectively blockade the island, a response to increasingly sharp rhetoric from Taiwan’s leader and a reorientation of US strategy. The drills, code-named Strait Thunder-2025A, came without forewarning, unlike two sets of “Joint Sword” exercises the China conducted around the island last year. Beijing’s military hasn’t said how long the exercises will last. The Joint Sword exercises were in response... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304838/beijings-surprise-blockade-drill-around-taiwan-continues-pla-mum-how-long-it-will-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304838/beijings-surprise-blockade-drill-around-taiwan-continues-pla-mum-how-long-it-will-last?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Apr 2025 09:01:25 +0000 The US State Department sanctioned six Hong Kong officials on Monday for their involvement in implementing national security legislation in the city, triggering a vow from Beijing to retaliate. The move, timed to coincide with the State Department’s annual Hong Kong Policy Report, was part of the administration of US President Donald Trump’s “commitment to hold to account those responsible for depriving people in Hong Kong of protected rights and freedoms or who commit acts of transnational... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304670/us-tests-red-lines-china-sanctions-hegseth-visit-region-tariff-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304670/us-tests-red-lines-china-sanctions-hegseth-visit-region-tariff-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:02:17 +0000 Beijing’s campaign to stop a deal that would see ports at either end of the Panama Canal change hands seems to have yielded the desired result on Friday, when CK Hutchison Holdings told media that it wouldn’t be signing the deal with US investment firm BlackRock by a nominal deadline set for Wednesday. April 2 is the target date set in a tentative agreement between Li Ka-shing’s conglomerate and BlackRock for a definitive deal to be signed regarding the Panama ports, but a failure to sign by... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304535/hutchison-pauses-plan-finalise-sale-panama-ports-pressure-beijing-mounts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304535/hutchison-pauses-plan-finalise-sale-panama-ports-pressure-beijing-mounts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:17:23 +0000 Hours after top trade envoys for the United States and China met via video call, US President Donald Trump told reporters he would consider cutting tariffs if Beijing supported a deal to sell TikTok’s US operations to a US firm. The meeting between US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng appears to have been little other than a check-in, remarkable only in that it was the first meeting between the two and they both confirmed the importance of maintaining... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304079/trumps-liberation-day-approaches-art-deal-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3304079/trumps-liberation-day-approaches-art-deal-air?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Mar 2025 09:02:14 +0000 HSBC kicked off its second global investment summit in Hong Kong on Tuesday on the theme of “new networks of influence”. The theme is particularly apt, as the administration of US President Donald Trump has had a profound impact on global networks in its first couple of months. HSBC chairman Mark Tucker set the scene with a keynote speech to emphasise both the opportunities and risks that come with evolving networks. For Hong Kong, the theme embodies its role as a “superconnector” between... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3303895/hsbc-global-summit-touts-hong-kong-superconnector-ai-everyones-lips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3303895/hsbc-global-summit-touts-hong-kong-superconnector-ai-everyones-lips?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:01:28 +0000 A US proposal to charge exorbitant port fees to shipping companies that use China-built ships encountered stiff resistance from US businesses and industry groups in a hearing on Monday. The office of the United States Trade Representative mooted the proposal a month ago to charge ships with China links additional fees of up to US$1.5 million per US port call. The move – based on a USTR investigation into China’s purported efforts to achieve dominance in maritime, logistics and shipbuilding... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3303723/proposed-us-port-fee-hike-chinese-ships-opposed-american-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3303723/proposed-us-port-fee-hike-chinese-ships-opposed-american-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Mar 2025 09:01:20 +0000 Beijing is getting ready to host 80 foreign business leaders this weekend at the China Development Forum, and a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may be on the cards for at least some of the participants. According to a list of confirmed attendees seen by the South China Morning Post, perennial CDF attendees Tim Cook and Stephen Schwarzman of Apple and Blackstone, respectively, will be in Beijing to attend the March 22-24 forum along with 23 other representatives from US-headquartered... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302937/foreign-ceos-gather-beijing-and-could-meet-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302937/foreign-ceos-gather-beijing-and-could-meet-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:01:52 +0000 A year after Beijing signalled it was ready to sponsor a nationally organised plan to stimulate consumption, the country’s and the Communist Party’s top organs have jointly released a blueprint that tackles the problem from multiple angles. The trade-in programme that the State Council, China’s cabinet, launched last March got off to a slow start and was generally viewed as a short-term boost for consumption. Data since around September has indicated that the programme is benefiting the economy,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302811/beijing-gets-down-business-stimulating-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302811/beijing-gets-down-business-stimulating-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 09:00:10 +0000 The first major release of assorted Chinese economic data in 2025 was strong enough to keep hopes alive that the government can steer a course out of a disappointing post-pandemic period so far – but not strong enough to ease off on policies aimed at boosting domestic consumption. The most-watched figure released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday was retail sales, which rose by 4.0 per cent in the first two months of the year, outstripping December’s 3.7 per cent but missing the 4.5... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302639/chinas-data-gives-reason-cautious-optimism-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302639/chinas-data-gives-reason-cautious-optimism-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Mar 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s stock market has seen a surge of confidence this year, largely on the back of optimism surrounding recent tech developments, even as US markets have been roiling due to uncertainty about US President Donald Trump’s economic decision making. The Hang Seng Index gave up some recent gains on Thursday, but is still up 17 per cent in the year to date. The Hang Seng Tech Index is up 29 per cent in the year to date, mostly due to increased confidence in Chinese innovation capabilities after... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302164/once-unloved-chinese-stocks-ride-high-tech-fever-us-equities-slump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302164/once-unloved-chinese-stocks-ride-high-tech-fever-us-equities-slump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:01:18 +0000 The most striking part of the final day of China’s annual week-long meetings of top legislators and political advisers on Tuesday was what was missing. Namely, the country’s No 3 official, Zhao Leji, who chairs the National People’s Congress, was absent for the last few days of the ‘two sessions’, and one of the most-awaited pieces of legislation that had previously been expected to passed by the NPC wasn’t up for consideration. Zhao, 68, took leave because of a “respiratory tract infection”,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302027/chinas-two-sessions-ends-note-intrigue-otherwise-delivers-expected-outcomes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3302027/chinas-two-sessions-ends-note-intrigue-otherwise-delivers-expected-outcomes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 09:00:08 +0000 Washington and Beijing are discussing a face-to-face meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, the South China Morning Post has reported exclusively, citing several diplomatic sources. The current discussions are focused on a Trump visit to China, the Post reported on Monday, though both sides would like to play host, as the optics are better than being a guest and potentially seen as a supplicant. The dates of the visit have yet to be finalised,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301900/trump-xi-meeting-being-discussed-early-april-potentially-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301900/trump-xi-meeting-being-discussed-early-april-potentially-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:06:02 +0000 “Artificial intelligence is the hot topic at this year’s ‘two sessions’. If you aren’t talking about DeepSeek, it looks like you aren’t fashionable,” said Wu Qing, the head of China’s securities regulator, from the dais at a press conference focusing on the economy on the sidelines of the ‘two sessions’ on Thursday. The head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, better known as the “broker butcher” than for being on trend, was giving voice to the zeitgeist of the latest edition of the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301745/two-sessions-mood-buoyed-deepseeks-breakthrough-making-ai-weeks-hot-topic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301745/two-sessions-mood-buoyed-deepseeks-breakthrough-making-ai-weeks-hot-topic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Mar 2025 09:00:19 +0000 US President Donald Trump signalled his intention to do away with one of former president Joe Biden’s signature achievements at his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Turning to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump said, “Your Chips Act is a horrible, horrible thing,” and requested that he “get rid” of the Chips and Science Act, which Biden signed into law in August 2022 after it was passed by bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate. The Chips Act was a key part of... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301227/trump-chips-away-biden-era-industrial-policy-china-increases-technology-budget-allocation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301227/trump-chips-away-biden-era-industrial-policy-china-increases-technology-budget-allocation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:03:34 +0000 Beijing’s National People’s Congress convened on Wednesday morning with the legislature’s chairman, Zhao Leji (趙樂際), announcing that 2,880 members were in attendance (49 short of full participation) and introducing Premier Li Qiang, who delivered a government work report that was in line with expectations. Li acknowledged global and local challenges, from trade protectionism to unilateralism abroad to an unstable post-pandemic recovery, weak demand and governance inefficiencies at... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301102/china-budgets-increased-deficit-continued-5-cent-gdp-growth-start-npc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3301102/china-budgets-increased-deficit-continued-5-cent-gdp-growth-start-npc?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 09:02:12 +0000 Soon after an additional 10 per cent tariff went into effect on all Chinese goods at 1.00pm Hong Kong time on Tuesday, Beijing countered with tariffs on agricultural products and other measures. A Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman said earlier on Tuesday that Beijing would take “all necessary countermeasures” to defend its interests against what he called “unreasonable tariffs”. The latest tariffs were in addition to a 10 per cent duty that US President Donald Trump called for last month in... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300939/beijing-responds-trumps-latest-tariffs-its-own-tariffs-export-control-additions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300939/beijing-responds-trumps-latest-tariffs-its-own-tariffs-export-control-additions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:00:44 +0000 As representatives of China’s top political advisory body (the CPPCC) and its legislature (the NPC) prepare to meet, economic matters are at the top of the agenda. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in comments published in the Communist Party magazine Qiushi (求是) on Saturday that effective economic work is guaranteed by “centralised and unified leadership”, which happens to have been the focus of last year’s meetings of the CPPCC and NPC, collectively known as the “two sessions” (两会). Although... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300780/chinas-two-sessions-focus-reviving-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300780/chinas-two-sessions-focus-reviving-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2025 09:01:10 +0000 US President Donald Trump essentially followed the US line on Taiwan on Wednesday, when he declined to take a stance in response to a question about whether the US would defend the island in the event of a mainland attack. The US has a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan aimed at keeping mainland China guessing about the extent of resources the US would put into protecting the island while also espousing the “one-China principle”, which the mainland sees as a minimal requirement for... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300315/trumps-ambiguity-toward-taiwan-may-not-be-strategic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300315/trumps-ambiguity-toward-taiwan-may-not-be-strategic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 09:05:28 +0000 Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan delivered a measured budget speech on Wednesday, acknowledging internal and external challenges the city faces, which he said require more reforms and innovations. Chan said the city’s deficit was HK$87.2 billion (US$11.2 billion) in the current financial year, wider than the HK$48.1 billion projected a year ago but not as wide as his recent ballpark estimate of around HK$100 billion. The civil service and top government officials will be taking on some of... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300182/hong-kong-unveils-narrower-budget-deficit-freezes-civil-service-pay-and-cuts-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300182/hong-kong-unveils-narrower-budget-deficit-freezes-civil-service-pay-and-cuts-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:24:02 +0000 The United States Trade Representative has aimed a torpedo at China’s shipbuilders and shipping operators, proposing hefty port fees for shipping companies that operate vessels that are built in China. The proposal, posted on the US government’s Federal Register on Friday, is up for public comment until a hearing scheduled for March 24. It’s based on the results of the a USTR Section 301 investigation that was launched last April and concluded last month. The probe found that China has targeted... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300029/ustr-makes-waves-proposal-hefty-port-fees-china-built-and-operated-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3300029/ustr-makes-waves-proposal-hefty-port-fees-china-built-and-operated-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Feb 2025 09:00:07 +0000 US President Donald Trump’s administration showed as it began its second month in power that China is still a strategic priority, even as the dominant political story in the US continued to be chaotic efforts to trim government staff, including a weekend email requesting that all civil servants justify their work or lose their jobs. On Friday evening in China, Vice-Premier He Lifeng dialled into a video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the first call between top economic officials... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299866/china-us-top-economic-officials-start-dialogue-even-trump-orders-tighter-investment-review?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299866/china-us-top-economic-officials-start-dialogue-even-trump-orders-tighter-investment-review?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:01:06 +0000 Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector to mainland China is getting an upgrade on March 1, when amendments to the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement go into effect. Hong Kong officials touted the benefits of changes to Cepa at an event on Wednesday, with relaxed rules on which entities can gain access to the mainland taking centre stage. Cepa is a free-trade agreement between Hong Kong and the mainland that allows qualifying products, companies and residents of Hong Kong preferential access... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299420/free-trade-pact-between-hong-kong-and-mainland-gets-boost-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299420/free-trade-pact-between-hong-kong-and-mainland-gets-boost-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:02:36 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been on a whirlwind tour this past week, carrying a message of multilateralism that contrasts sharply with the approach to foreign policy taken by US President Donald Trump. After Wang’s return to his old portfolio in 2023, China’s diplomacy has pivoted from the combative “wolf warrior” style associated with his disgraced predecessor, Qin Gang. Under Wang, Beijing has sought to play the role of peacemaker, with notable efforts to promote resolutions to... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299244/chinas-wang-yi-touts-multilateralism-face-us-rejection-globalist-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299244/chinas-wang-yi-touts-multilateralism-face-us-rejection-globalist-model?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:02:15 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a rare gathering with some of China’s highest-profile entrepreneurs on Monday, sending a message that the government has their back as the country and its businesses face both internal and external challenges. It was Xi’s second meeting with private-sector entrepreneurs since he came to power, following a symposium held under similar circumstances in November 2018. Attendees at Monday’s meeting included Alibaba founder Jack Ma, an indication of his full... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299095/chinas-xi-meets-private-sector-bosses-and-calls-more-innovation-rivalry-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3299095/chinas-xi-meets-private-sector-bosses-and-calls-more-innovation-rivalry-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:03:08 +0000 The Southeast Asia edition of SCMP’s China Conference concluded in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, with representatives from governments and business weighing in on the way forward for China and Asean. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who this year serves as the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ chairman, said the bloc’s relationship with China needed to grow beyond traditional trade and investment and focus on preparing the region for future challenges, warning that artificial... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298991/us-variables-take-limelight-china-conference-kuala-lumpur?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298991/us-variables-take-limelight-china-conference-kuala-lumpur?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2025 09:10:22 +0000 Chinese tech stocks are enjoying a renaissance thanks largely to the uplift provided by artificial intelligence upstart DeepSeek, whose low-cost AI models that provide results comparable to AI favourites have given investors a reason to look at China. The tech resurgence has helped propel benchmark Hong Kong and mainland indices higher as well. US investment banks are falling in line with the narrative started by a Deutsche Bank research report early this month that characterised DeepSeek’s... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298468/deepseek-driven-rally-puts-chinese-tech-stocks-back-investors-radars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298468/deepseek-driven-rally-puts-chinese-tech-stocks-back-investors-radars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:00:40 +0000 US Vice-President J.D. Vance was an outlier at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, where representatives from more than 60 countries signed a closing statement that called for guardrails around the technology and to “ensure AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure, and trustworthy”. Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing, who signed on behalf of China, emphasised the importance of AI as part of technological revolution and industrial transformation and said that... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298313/us-declines-join-global-consensus-common-goals-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298313/us-declines-join-global-consensus-common-goals-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:10:41 +0000 China’s top economic planner unveiled a plan on Sunday aimed at advancing towards the government’s target of building a “unified national electricity market system”. The National Reform and Development Commission and the National Energy Administration issued a joint notice announcing that prices for electricity generated by clean-energy projects completed after June 1 will be set by market forces rather than at preferential rates that were established to support the transition to renewables. The... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298173/china-moves-towards-market-pricing-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298173/china-moves-towards-market-pricing-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:00:08 +0000 US President Donald Trump’s suspension of foreign assistance programmes under USAID pending a 90-day review triggered worldwide consternation and may give China an opening to expand the reach of its soft power, particularly in the Global South, a chief beneficiary of American assistance. Trump issued an executive order on the first day of his second term to freeze more than US$60 billion in programmes that have aided countries in crisis for 64 years, saying USAID is “not aligned with American... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298039/usaid-frozen-chinas-influence-global-south-looks-set-advance-unimpeded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3298039/usaid-frozen-chinas-influence-global-south-looks-set-advance-unimpeded?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 09:00:47 +0000 For anyone who wondered if Trump 2.0 would usher in more disciplined decision making in the White House compared with Trump 1.0, the logistics hiccup involving the US Postal Service on Wednesday was the latest evidence that the administration’s modus operandi will continue to involve a certain amount of chaos. The USPS first suspended handling of packages from China and Hong Kong (a separate customs territory) before backtracking 12 hours later. At issue is compliance with President Donald... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3297582/trumps-suspension-de-minimis-rule-china-sows-confusion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3297582/trumps-suspension-de-minimis-rule-china-sows-confusion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2025 09:00:56 +0000 Whether by accident or by design, DeepSeek’s rise to global prominence as an AI disrupter was bracketed by holidays. The Hangzhou-based company announced in a WeChat post on December 26 that based on its benchmark tests, its namesake large language model, DeepSeek-V3, performed as well as or better than rival models from the likes of Meta Platforms and ChatGPT creator OpenAI. While there was some buzz at the time about DeepSeek’s claim to have beaten the other models at a fraction of their... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3297459/chinas-success-deepseek-sends-established-ai-players-scrambling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3297459/chinas-success-deepseek-sends-established-ai-players-scrambling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 09:08:00 +0000 China started the weekend looking like it was in a relatively better place than Canada and Mexico vis-a-vis tariffs, but as of a February 4 deadline set by US President Donald Trump, it was the only country facing immediate additional tariffs. Canada and Mexico earned month-long reprieves from the 25 per cent additional tariffs that Trump promised on their goods, but China – at least as of publication time – is on the hook for 10 per cent tariffs that the US president said would be imposed after... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3297300/china-counters-us-tariffs-though-reprieve-may-be-sight-given-pause-canada-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3297300/china-counters-us-tariffs-though-reprieve-may-be-sight-given-pause-canada-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2025 09:00:59 +0000 Going by GDP forecasts from provincial and municipal governments, China looks set to target economic growth of at least 5 per cent in 2025. The national GDP growth target was determined at the central economic work conference in December but won’t be revealed until lawmakers meet for the annual “two sessions” in early March, with Premier Li Qiang likely to announce the figure during his government work report. Local governments are announcing their economic growth targets in their work reports... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294842/province-level-gdp-growth-targets-point-least-5-cent-growth-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294842/province-level-gdp-growth-targets-point-least-5-cent-growth-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 09:03:43 +0000 As US President Joe Biden started his final week in office, his government’s focus was very much on China. The Commerce Department announced new regulations on Monday designed to further restrict artificial intelligence chip exports. The draft regulations, known as the Export Control Framework for AI Diffusion, are mostly aimed at the US’ arch-rival in technology (China) as well as other countries that are restricted from receiving advanced technology components, largely so that they don’t act... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294653/biden-administration-drafts-tighter-rules-ai-chip-sales-china-other-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294653/biden-administration-drafts-tighter-rules-ai-chip-sales-china-other-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:00:21 +0000 Exports continued to be the bright spot for China’s economy in December, with year-ending numbers topping expectations and contributing to the country’s likely achievement of its economic growth target of “around 5 per cent” for 2024. December exports rose 10.7 per cent on year, according to customs data released on Monday. This was faster than the 7.6 per cent increase projected by Chinese financial data provider Wind, and it beat 6.7 per cent growth recorded in November. The data came after UK... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294534/china-ends-2024-record-trade-surplus-ahead-feared-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294534/china-ends-2024-record-trade-surplus-ahead-feared-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 09:07:06 +0000 China said Wednesday that it will expand a trade-in programme to subsidise purchases of consumer items, a sign that this will be the centrepiece of government efforts to stimulate consumption in 2025. The announcement – by the National Development Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner – came a day ahead of December consumer and producer inflation data that remained in the doldrums: China’s consumer price index rose by 0.1 per cent on year, slower than the consensus in a poll... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294046/china-expands-subsidies-consumer-goods-boost-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3294046/china-expands-subsidies-consumer-goods-boost-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:00:43 +0000 Two months after Donald Trump won the US election, China’s foreign ministry has finally confirmed that a backchannel has been established for communication between the US president-elect and China’s President Xi Jinping. “China and the US have maintained communication through various means,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in response to a question at a press briefing on Tuesday. The comment came a day after Trump told American conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that he and... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3293855/china-confirms-backchannel-between-xi-and-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3293855/china-confirms-backchannel-between-xi-and-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 09:00:40 +0000