https://www.scmp.com/rss/519916/feed From the latest White House developments, to trade tariffs, tech wars, social changes and the tricky China relationship, the Post has all the news from the United States of America right here. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The United States has “no defence against hypersonic weapons or cruise missiles”, a senior Pentagon official told Congress on Monday, as US President Donald Trump’s US$185 billion Golden Dome missile shield faces continued scepticism. “The Golden Dome will strengthen deterrence by denying adversaries the ability to achieve their objectives through coercion or aggression,” Marc Berkowitz, the assistant secretary of defence for missile defence and deterrence policy, told a Senate hearing on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351626/trumps-golden-dome-will-combat-chinas-hypersonic-weapons-cruise-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351626/trumps-golden-dome-will-combat-chinas-hypersonic-weapons-cruise-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:28:59 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi “Balikatan 2026” is meant to reassure allies and deter adversaries. But the military exercise hosted by the Philippines also reveals a harsher truth: the Indo-Pacific is drifting into a security logic in which deterrence no longer contains risk but multiplies it. Every move taken in the name of stability now invites a countermove. Every display of resolve is answered by another. The result is not equilibrium, but a trap. That is why diplomacy has to return to the centre of regional strategy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351382/without-diplomacy-deterrence-asia-path-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351382/without-diplomacy-deterrence-asia-path-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters A New York man on Monday pleaded guilty to ⁠taking part in ⁠the 2002 murder of ⁠pioneering hip-hop star Jam Master Jay of famed group Run-DMC as part of a dispute over a drug deal, according to federal prosecutors. Appearing in court in Brooklyn, Jay Bryant, 52, admitted to playing ‌a role in the fatal shooting of Jason Mizell, better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, and faces up to 20 years in prison, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351623/man-pleads-guilty-2002-killing-run-dmcs-jam-master-jay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351623/man-pleads-guilty-2002-killing-run-dmcs-jam-master-jay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:04:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States on Monday for a four-day trip, welcomed by self-proclaimed royal fan Donald Trump even as the US president has differed with the British government over the Iran war. The state visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles’ reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from British rule, and is the first to the country by a British ‌monarch in two decades. After landing at Joint... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351622/king-charles-arrives-us-trip-overshadowed-iran-quarrel-and-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351622/king-charles-arrives-us-trip-overshadowed-iran-quarrel-and-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:23:43 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Lebanon’s social affairs minister has backed calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, but cautioned the process would take time before a “political settlement” could be reached, noting that the group is also a “community”. Haneen Sayed told a discussion in Washington on Monday that disarming Hezbollah – an Iran-backed militant group – was a demand of her government and its people, and that it “must happen”. “Of course, we understand that implementation is not easy. It’s not instant coffee. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:33:04 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Following high-level mediation efforts in Islamabad over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday. The diplomatic surge comes as US President Donald Trump convened his senior national security team to evaluate a fresh Iranian peace proposal, delivered via Pakistan, aimed at ending the months-long Middle East crisis and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The White House confirmed the proposal called... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:18:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nato is considering ending its recent practice of holding annual summits, six sources told Reuters, a move that could avoid a potentially tense encounter with US President Donald Trump in his final year in office. Trump’s administration has engaged repeatedly in scathing criticism of many of the US-led defence alliance’s 31 other members, most recently berating some for not providing more help to US military operations against Iran. The frequency of Nato ‌summits has varied over the alliance’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351615/bruised-trump-nato-alliance-considers-end-annual-summits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351615/bruised-trump-nato-alliance-considers-end-annual-summits?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:41:27 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Yoyo Yue has spent much of her life navigating the complex US immigration system. The 31-year-old Chinese content creator moved from China to a US boarding school, went to university, secured an H-1B visa and later a “green card” – a path long considered the “gold standard” for skilled foreign workers. Now, she said, that path felt far less certain. “The H-1B path today comes with significant uncertainty, not just around job stability, but also around long-term prospects,” Yue said. US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351544/why-tougher-us-visa-rules-skilled-foreign-workers-may-end-exodus-asia-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351544/why-tougher-us-visa-rules-skilled-foreign-workers-may-end-exodus-asia-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan In the span of a few days earlier this month, developments that usually sit in separate policy compartments began to converge. Abu Dhabi’s crown prince arrived in Beijing as President Xi Jinping used the visit to set out China’s four-point position on the Iran war. Pakistan, now central to keeping US-Iran diplomacy alive, said no date was fixed for the next round of talks. Washington escalated pressure on buyers of Iranian oil and the banks handling related funds. Reports circulated of yuan use... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350916/us-dollar-subtler-shift-petroyuan-order-underfoot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350916/us-dollar-subtler-shift-petroyuan-order-underfoot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Mark Magnier,Yuanyue Dang Mark Magnier,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump and other top administration officials were likely targets of a gunman who tried to storm a White House correspondents’ dinner, the acting US attorney general said on Sunday, after a major security breach in the heart of Washington. Chaos erupted at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night as shots were fired near a security checkpoint outside the subterranean ballroom where the glitzy, high-profile event was being held. Secret Service agents, weapons drawn, rushed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351447/trump-evacuated-white-house-correspondents-dinner-after-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351447/trump-evacuated-white-house-correspondents-dinner-after-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:53:20 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad again on Sunday, just hours after US President Donald Trump told his special envoys not to go to Pakistan for ceasefire talks. Araghchi had left Pakistan’s capital on Saturday night after meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Pakistan has been trying to get US and Iranian officials back to the negotiating table after Trump last week announced that a two-week... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351442/trump-cancels-envoys-trip-pakistan-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351442/trump-cancels-envoys-trip-pakistan-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 17:16:19 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu As one of the world’s largest automotive glass producers, and the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, Fuyao Glass is a familiar name in the United States. Now, its founder has warned he is prepared to shut down his American plants if trade friction and tariffs cause severe losses. Responding to questions regarding geopolitical risks at the company’s annual general meeting, Cao Dewang said that the company would not engage in loss-making ventures. “How much in duties you want to impose is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351347/billionaire-behind-american-factory-firm-warns-us-exit-amid-trade-friction-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351347/billionaire-behind-american-factory-firm-warns-us-exit-amid-trade-friction-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Financial markets, stock markets especially, appear able to defy gravity despite the global geopolitical and economic situation. A plethora of institutional and individual explanations have been offered as to why, but most seem to miss the point. Which is, at least in part, that we have created a kind of monster in the asset management industry, which channels a glut of global savings into a limited number of investment areas and which, by virtue of these captive inflows, is able to maintain... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351213/real-reason-stock-markets-are-still-flying-high-despite-grave-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351213/real-reason-stock-markets-are-still-flying-high-despite-grave-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu More than 4 million small parcels from China have arrived at the freight airport in Liege, Belgium, every day since the beginning of the year. On the receiving end, the Belgian customs inspection team at the airport has only 80 members. Belgium’s top customs official, Kristian Vanderwaeren, said the airport, close to the Netherlands, Germany and France, was built, in part, to cater to e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Shein, Temu and Alibaba. But the “explosion” in the number of small parcels... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351338/flood-small-parcels-china-pushes-belgian-airports-capacity-limit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351338/flood-small-parcels-china-pushes-belgian-airports-capacity-limit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Holly Chik Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Holly Chik US President Donald Trump is sending special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with “representatives from the Iranian delegation” this weekend, the White House confirmed on Friday. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Trump-friendly Fox News that the “America first” president will be “dispatching” the duo “tomorrow morning to engage in direct talks” and “hear the Iranians out”. Though she did not mention who would be representing Tehran, Pakistan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351355/irans-foreign-minister-expected-pakistan-raising-hopes-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351355/irans-foreign-minister-expected-pakistan-raising-hopes-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:39:19 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s close ally, Senator Steve Daines, will lead a bipartisan delegation to China next week, according to sources, even as Washington steps up pressure on Beijing over trade, technological competition, and its ties to Iran, ahead of a closely watched leaders’ summit on May 14-15. According to people familiar who requested anonymity, the five-member delegation led by Daines, a Republican from Montana, will begin its visit on May 1, with stops in Shanghai and Beijing. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351219/trump-ally-visit-china-us-turns-pressure-may-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351219/trump-ally-visit-china-us-turns-pressure-may-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:18:18 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to extend their ceasefire by three weeks after a second round of negotiations between their envoys in Washington, despite reports of violations of the truce from both sides. US President Donald Trump announced the extension on social media, saying Washington “is going to work with Lebanon in order to protect itself from Hezbollah”. “The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS,” he wrote, calling the meeting “very historic” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351217/trump-meet-lebanon-and-israel-envoys-beirut-seeks-truce-extension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351217/trump-meet-lebanon-and-israel-envoys-beirut-seeks-truce-extension?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:36:07 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier In the latest cycle of threats and concessions that have marked US President Donald Trump’s approach to the war that he and his Israeli counterpart started against Iran, the mercurial leader said on Thursday he would destroy any boat attempting to lay mines in the blocked Strait of Hormuz. His focus on diminutive vessels followed his oft-repeated messaging that Iran’s larger naval vessels no longer exist as he renewed his effort to muscle Tehran’s frustratingly resilient regime to concede... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351209/trump-says-navy-will-shoot-and-kill-boats-laying-mines-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351209/trump-says-navy-will-shoot-and-kill-boats-laying-mines-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:15:37 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen American enterprises operating in China lauded improvements in the country’s regulatory environment and more “openness”, but long-standing concerns over access and Beijing’s emphasis on security continue to weigh on optimism, with expectations for US President Donald Trump’s looming China visit also muted, according to a leading business chamber. Targeted regulatory refinement in some sectors, ongoing updates to foreign investment policies and market access measures, and “incremental”... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351168/beijings-emphasis-security-weighing-us-firms-optimism-amcham-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351168/beijings-emphasis-security-weighing-us-firms-optimism-amcham-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US visa system rolls out the “red carpet” for spies and aids China’s alleged efforts to steal American innovation, senators charged at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as Washington and Beijing intensify competition for dominance in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. Through its permissive legal channels, the US is “inviting, welcoming, come on in with the red carpet rolled out” people who steal military and commercial secrets, Republican Senator Ashley Moody of Florida... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:37:28 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sought to quell fears in Senate testimony on Wednesday that American technology was aiding China’s military, but drew scepticism given the US president’s willingness to sell advanced semiconductors. Lutnick asserted before the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee that US President Donald Trump was striking a “delicate balance” on the technology transfer issue given his cordial personal relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, claiming that China had... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3351059/china-bought-zero-h200-chips-today-says-lutnick-he-cites-delicate-balance-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3351059/china-bought-zero-h200-chips-today-says-lutnick-he-cites-delicate-balance-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:46:17 +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 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma US Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh’s policy vision – outlined during his Senate confirmation hearing – signals an extension of “America First” into monetary policy, Chinese analysts said. “Warsh’s policy proposals … mark a shift from acting as a ‘global central bank’ supplying unlimited liquidity worldwide to a new approach focused on tightly controlling the overall monetary spigot, prioritising domestic productivity and emphasising monetary sovereignty,” analysts at China... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350993/america-first-fed-trump-nominee-kevin-warsh-signals-monetary-sovereignty-push-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350993/america-first-fed-trump-nominee-kevin-warsh-signals-monetary-sovereignty-push-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:30:14 +0000 Warwick Powell Warwick Powell In the spring of 2026, amid a fragile ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump continues to insist that the United States is untouched by disruptions in the Persian Gulf. “We don’t use it”, he has claimed, echoing years of “energy dominance” rhetoric. The numbers tell a different story. The United States remains a net importer of crude oil. Its refineries are engineered for the medium sour barrels that flow through the Hormuz Strait. And the global price shock triggered by the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350726/iran-war-reflects-false-promise-us-energy-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350726/iran-war-reflects-false-promise-us-energy-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin A Chinese university student has been charged with unauthorised photography of US military aircraft in Nebraska during a road trip through several states, which included a stop at an air force base in South Dakota. Tianrui Liang, who is studying in Glasgow, was arrested at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport on April 7 as he attempted to return to Scotland, court documents filed in the Eastern District of New York revealed. The 21-year-old has been charged with photographing defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350933/chinese-college-student-charged-illegally-taking-photos-us-military-planes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350933/chinese-college-student-charged-illegally-taking-photos-us-military-planes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:30:56 +0000 Xiao Qian Xiao Qian The United States House Select Committee on China recently released a report on artificial intelligence. Titled “Buy What It Can, Steal What It Must: China’s Campaign to Acquire Frontier AI Capabilities”, it captures a hardening view in Washington that Beijing’s artificial intelligence rise is closely tied to both market access and security concerns. Whether fully substantiated or not, such beliefs are increasingly shaping the policy lens through which technology competition between the two... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350871/us-china-ai-race-must-strike-balance-between-security-and-openness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350871/us-china-ai-race-must-strike-balance-between-security-and-openness?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s next-generation “drone-carrier” amphibious assault ship is en route to the South China Sea for critical sea trials, the military announced on Tuesday, in the same waters where the US, the Philippines and Japan are conducting large-scale joint military exercises and the aircraft carrier Liaoning is apparently sailing to. “The Sichuan, our country’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, has set sail from Shanghai for relevant waters in the South China Sea to carry out scientific research... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350932/chinas-new-type-076-drone-carrier-take-part-south-china-sea-training-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350932/chinas-new-type-076-drone-carrier-take-part-south-china-sea-training-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:09:29 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump’s long-standing obsession with sea power was underscored by his pledge to rebuild the US Navy into what he called a “Golden Fleet” as he returned to the White House. His financial year 2027 budget released on April 3 puts a price tag on the ambition: US$65.8 billion for 34 warships, including initial funding for a next-generation battleship he wants to name after himself, part of the largest US$1.5 trillion defence-spending request in history. But analysts say the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3350866/trumps-military-push-confronts-us-lawmakers-and-chinas-shipbuilding-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3350866/trumps-military-push-confronts-us-lawmakers-and-chinas-shipbuilding-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The West’s narrative of Chinese “overcapacity” is a double standard, said a former chief economist of the World Bank as he urged advanced economies to draw on “Eastern wisdom” rather than protectionism to navigate the rise of hi-tech competition. Justin Lin Yifu, a prominent advocate of Beijing’s industrial policy, dismissed claims that China’s auto-export surge was a sign of industrial imbalance. Speaking at Hong Kong Chu Hai College, Lin drew a contrast with Germany to expose a logical... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350885/economist-justin-lin-urges-west-adopt-eastern-wisdom-china-moves-value-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350885/economist-justin-lin-urges-west-adopt-eastern-wisdom-china-moves-value-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen Beijing is putting its power strategy under the microscope as China navigates the impact of a shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that risks becoming a long-term economic liability. Calling energy security a pillar of national stability, Premier Li Qiang on Monday convened a high-level study session of the State Council, China’s Cabinet, according to Xinhua. The meeting, focused on coordinating energy security and the sector’s transformation, was the latest in a series of policy discussions... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350896/china-confronts-middle-east-supply-shock-state-council-mulls-energy-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350896/china-confronts-middle-east-supply-shock-state-council-mulls-energy-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:00:14 +0000 William Figueroa William Figueroa China’s recent diplomatic efforts in the Middle East have led to speculation over whether its global strategy has shifted. There is consensus that China is stepping into a leadership role and trying to play peacemaker. Meanwhile, a few sceptics point out that the US-Israel war on Iran is not about China and has only exposed how thin Beijing’s influence is in the region. We’ve been here before. In the last decade, with each moment of conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, from Syria to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350535/chinas-diplomacy-succeeds-even-if-it-doesnt-bring-middle-east-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350535/chinas-diplomacy-succeeds-even-if-it-doesnt-bring-middle-east-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s top civilian aircraft manufacturer is reassessing geopolitical risks to its supply chains – particularly for jet engines sourced from foreign firms – according to a source at the planemaker, as deliveries of its flagship C919 passenger jet appear to be late or delayed this year. The Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) is facing external and internal constraints, including reliance on foreign suppliers for critical components and persistent manpower shortages,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350754/maker-chinas-c919-jet-weighs-supply-chain-weaknesses-amid-delivery-delays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350754/maker-chinas-c919-jet-weighs-supply-chain-weaknesses-amid-delivery-delays?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:30:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is out of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, the administration announced on Monday, after a series of alleged abuses of her position’s power, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job. Chavez-DeRemer is the third Trump cabinet member to leave her post after Trump fired his embattled homeland security secretary Kristi Noem in March and ousted Pam Bondi as attorney general earlier this month. “While my time serving in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350793/us-labour-secretary-leave-trumps-cabinet-after-abuse-power-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350793/us-labour-secretary-leave-trumps-cabinet-after-abuse-power-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:11:42 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan For Tim Avanzato and the team at Lanca Sales, Monday marked the start of a high-stakes digital scramble to recover tariffs paid after US President Donald Trump imposed steep duties on almost all imports, including from China, last year. While the New Jersey-based company that imports and exports food packaging has become accustomed to operating under tariffs and adjusting its business around them, Avanzato, who handles global trade and logistics at the firm, said the refund process has... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350794/us-firms-dash-recover-tariffs-paid-chinese-imports-refund-system-launches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350794/us-firms-dash-recover-tariffs-paid-chinese-imports-refund-system-launches?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:11:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Apple on Monday announced that Tim Cook will step down as the tech giant’s chief executive officer in September, handing the top job to company veteran John Ternus. The announcement answers long-simmering questions about a successor for 65-year-old Cook, who said he will become executive chairman of the board when he cedes Apple’s CEO position. “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said in a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350792/tim-cook-step-down-apple-ceo-handing-reins-firms-hardware-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350792/tim-cook-step-down-apple-ceo-handing-reins-firms-hardware-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:36:48 +0000 Julien Chaisse Julien Chaisse Indonesia says it is not choosing sides. That is true in diplomacy. It is less true on the map. The “major defence cooperation partnership” announced by Washington and Jakarta on April 13 is written in the safe language of official communiques: capacity building, education, exercises, cooperation. But the harder meaning lies beneath the phrasing. The most important line in this new defence partnership is not the reassuring one about “peace and stability”. It is the one about “maritime,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350215/how-new-us-indonesia-defence-pact-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350215/how-new-us-indonesia-defence-pact-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China “has to be involved” in nuclear arms control talks, while the US must step up its nuclear modernisation, including deploying more bombers, a senator responsible for overseeing American strategic forces said on Monday. “We need to be able to have a verifiable [treaty] and ensure accountability under treaties, and have them enforced with Russia and with China,” said Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican and chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee. The US has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350791/china-has-be-involved-any-nuclear-arms-control-talks-us-senator-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350791/china-has-be-involved-any-nuclear-arms-control-talks-us-senator-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:55:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A senior Cuban diplomat on Monday confirmed recent talks in Havana with US officials, as the communist-led island faces a deep crisis over President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign. “I can confirm that a meeting between delegations from Cuba and the United States was recently held here in Cuba,” Alejandro Garcia, the foreign ministry’s under-director of Cuba-US affairs, told the Communist Party newspaper Granma. Garcia said that the negotiators included assistant secretaries from the US State... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350789/cuba-confirms-recent-respectful-talks-visiting-us-delegation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350789/cuba-confirms-recent-respectful-talks-visiting-us-delegation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:54:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters David Burke, a 21-year-old musician known professionally as D4vd, pleaded not guilty on Monday to first-degree murder and other charges in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, months after her dismembered body was found inside ‌the boot of his Tesla in Hollywood. D4vd was charged with murder with special circumstances of lying in wait, committing a crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness in an investigation. He faces a maximum prison sentence of life without parole. Los... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350786/singer-d4vd-charged-murder-teenage-girl-found-decomposed-his-car?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350786/singer-d4vd-charged-murder-teenage-girl-found-decomposed-his-car?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:37:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An Amish woman and her six children ranging in age from three to 11 were killed in a swift-moving house fire after an explosion that shook nearby houses in rural north-central Pennsylvania, authorities said on Monday. Firefighters responding to a report of an explosion and fire at a home in Lamar Township in Clinton County near Mill Hall on Sunday morning said seven people were trapped, but they could not search the house engulfed in flames, Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement. All... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350785/mother-6-children-killed-explosion-and-fire-rural-pennsylvania-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350785/mother-6-children-killed-explosion-and-fire-rural-pennsylvania-home?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:06:37 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen With global attention fixed on the US and Iranian shipping blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and how many vessels have traversed the critically important waterway, a leading Chinese investment bank has been calculating the long-term gains and losses and how they could rewrite the global economic order. The United States was on the horns of a dilemma over the strait that might herald an acceleration of Washington’s strategic retreat and its increasingly transactional relationships with other... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350721/hormuz-moment-could-herald-decline-us-dominance-citic-securities-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350721/hormuz-moment-could-herald-decline-us-dominance-citic-securities-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Risks of conflict in the Gulf of Oman are rising after the US Navy fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, though analysts say both Washington and Tehran have shown a reluctance to prolong the war. US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed that the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance opened fire on the Touska after its crew reportedly ignored repeated orders to halt. The incident, occurring in the strategic waters connecting the Persian Gulf to the open sea via the Strait of Hormuz, marks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350738/what-does-us-and-irans-fight-talk-dynamic-mean-their-ceasefire-expires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350738/what-does-us-and-irans-fight-talk-dynamic-mean-their-ceasefire-expires?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:55:42 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s central bank chief has urged the IMF to serve as a bulwark against “rising unilateralism”, at a time when escalating trade restrictions and an intensified Middle East conflict threaten energy and food security. The International Monetary Fund should “take a clear stand against protectionism and defend multilateralism”, People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng said in a statement to the fund’s International Monetary and Financial Committee, for its 53rd meeting, held on Thursday and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350718/china-presses-imf-quota-reform-better-surveillance-advanced-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350718/china-presses-imf-quota-reform-better-surveillance-advanced-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:05:04 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Since America launched its “major combat operation” against Iran, several Nato allies have distanced themselves from Washington. Now America also risks losing ground in strategically important Southeast Asia to China. Could it face an erosion of influence similar to that suffered by Russia in Central Asia as a result of its “special military operation” in Ukraine? Soon after US President Donald Trump launched massive air and missile strikes on Iran on February 28, it became clear Washington... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China’s leading LED chipmaker and its Malaysian partner have abandoned their US$239 million cash offer to purchase Dutch technology company Lumileds Holding after opposition from US authorities, marking the latest setback for Chinese tech investment overseas following the high-profile Nexperia saga. Sanan Optoelectronics, listed in Shanghai, said in a disclosure announcement on Friday that despite multiple rounds of discussions, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that have seen hundreds of ships blocked and sent energy prices soaring worldwide. “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway. Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:51:26 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Some exporters at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou report a modest return of orders to China from Southeast Asia, as energy-market volatility linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran prompts some Western buyers to prioritise supply chain stability. The shift is visible in buyer patterns on the exhibition floor, where the number from Europe and the United States appears to have recovered from last year’s levels, according to Chinese exporters, with more inquiries for home appliances, new energy products... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier China has crafted markets, mechanisms and incentives as the world’s largest buyer of commodities in a bid to free itself from its dependence on the US dollar, but the biggest threat to Washington’s global dollar dominance may well be Washington itself, witnesses said in testimony on Thursday before a key advisory committee to the US Congress. Economic sanctions and access to US-led global banking systems are a powerful US tool that can be used to great effect, said experts before the US-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3350382/why-biggest-threat-us-global-dollar-dominance-may-well-be-washington-itself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3350382/why-biggest-threat-us-global-dollar-dominance-may-well-be-washington-itself?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 23:42:50 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin At a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, lawmakers and experts accused China of buying “what they can” and stealing “what they cannot” in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, while warning the United States’ immigration and research policies could be hindering innovation necessary to stay ahead. “The pattern is clear. China is dependent on our tech stack to continue their AI development. China is willing to buy what they can, and steal what they cannot, to advance their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:26:36 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick A senior US lawmaker called on Peru’s next government to reclaim the Chinese-controlled port of Chancay, describing the deepwater facility as a direct military threat to the western hemisphere. Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, said during a hearing on Thursday that Washington would help Peru wrest the megaport from Chinese hands. “The new Peruvian government, which will be elected next June, must take it back, that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350379/us-will-help-peru-take-back-chancay-port-china-congress-chair-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350379/us-will-help-peru-take-back-chancay-port-china-congress-chair-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:59:21 +0000