https://www.scmp.com/rss/520119/feed As the country with the biggest economy in the world, the US has immense influence on global trade. Find out the latest on the American economy, its trading relations and the fortunes of its firms here. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Nayan Seth Nayan Seth During a video call on Friday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng to uphold China’s previous commitments on agricultural goods and rare earth exports. A day earlier, Beijing reminded Washington to implement another deal – reciprocal tariff cuts covering US$30 billion worth of products on each side – as a precondition to buying more American farm products. Just days before President Donald Trump meets Chinese leader Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3374008/deal-vs-deal-us-china-trade-calls-honour-commitments-trump-xi-summit https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3374008/deal-vs-deal-us-china-trade-calls-honour-commitments-trump-xi-summit Wed, 11 Nov 2026 02:34:23 +0000 Nayan Seth,Lucy Quaggin Nayan Seth,Lucy Quaggin The fallout from the Nvidia scandal may test the fragile truce between the US and China, analysts say, as calls in Washington grow to tighten semiconductor export controls just days before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China. “I think that [scandal] could have a bigger impact down the line during the meeting in Miami or even further down the line,” said Ilaria Mazzocco, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373859/nvidia-scandal-may-test-fragile-us-china-truce-experts-say https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373859/nvidia-scandal-may-test-fragile-us-china-truce-experts-say Tue, 10 Nov 2026 00:32:25 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang had told him he did not know a woman at the centre of espionage allegations was a suspected Chinese spy, and that he believed the technology executive’s account. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had spoken to Huang earlier in the day, as the chipmaker faces scrutiny over whether its founder was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. “I asked him that question. Did you have any idea... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373857/trump-backs-nvidias-huang-over-spy-allegations-says-xi-may-raise-case https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373857/trump-backs-nvidias-huang-over-spy-allegations-says-xi-may-raise-case Mon, 09 Nov 2026 23:15:38 +0000 Han Li,Teresa Elena Frontado Han Li,Teresa Elena Frontado Growing bipartisan pressure is mounting in the US Congress on Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang over his ties to a businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of working for Beijing’s intelligence services, with lawmakers from both parties demanding to know whether US national security was compromised. Chinese authorities have dismissed the spying allegations. The controversy escalated over the weekend when Nvidia’s board announced an independent investigation after Huang admitted he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373853/us-congress-ramps-pressure-nvidias-jensen-huang-over-alleged-china-spy-links https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373853/us-congress-ramps-pressure-nvidias-jensen-huang-over-alleged-china-spy-links Mon, 09 Nov 2026 22:17:04 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a video call with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng on Friday, as both sides moved to finalise preparations for President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen later this month. “Secretary Bessent emphasised the importance of China fully and immediately implementing its commitments made in Busan and raised concerns about recent Chinese actions,” a statement from the Treasury... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3373616/us-china-trade-chiefs-hold-call-ahead-trump-xi-summit-shenzhen https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3373616/us-china-trade-chiefs-hold-call-ahead-trump-xi-summit-shenzhen Fri, 06 Nov 2026 18:34:11 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As the midterm “blue wave” threatens to further complicate US-China relations, American agricultural exporters are calling on Washington to focus on delivering the trade deals already agreed with Beijing and ending a period of damaging policy uncertainty. With shipments of key products such as soybeans needing to be planned months – or sometimes an entire year – ahead, US farmers are in need of stability after last year’s trade war. “Agriculture is ... an industry with long production cycles, so... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3373595/after-midterms-upheaval-us-ag-exporters-call-stability-china-trade https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3373595/after-midterms-upheaval-us-ag-exporters-call-stability-china-trade Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng American voters have spoken. In the midterm elections, Democrats won both the House and Senate in a sweeping rebuttal of US President Donald Trump’s erratic management of domestic and foreign affairs. Despite this, the trajectory of US-China geopolitical rivalry will remain unchanged for decades, with every chance of escalation. Foreign Affairs re-examines “The Delusions of American Power” in its latest issue. The lead article, “The Limits of American Power”, concludes that even with the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373304/midterm-swing-wont-change-trajectory-us-china-rivalry https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373304/midterm-swing-wont-change-trajectory-us-china-rivalry Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Zhang Tong Teresa Elena Frontado,Zhang Tong The United States has imposed sanctions on two Chinese companies it accuses of supplying equipment and components to Cuba’s military, as Washington intensifies pressure on Havana’s foreign suppliers and expands its authority to target businesses operating on the island. The US State Department said on Thursday that China National Electronic Import and Export Company, or CEIEC, and Beijing H&C Technologies had worked with Cuban arms procurement company Sociedad Mercantil Duna to supply... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373462/us-sanctions-chinese-firms-over-alleged-military-supplies-cuba https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373462/us-sanctions-chinese-firms-over-alleged-military-supplies-cuba Thu, 05 Nov 2026 20:13:47 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma After the Democrats swept the US midterm elections, a divided government may help restrain future Treasury borrowing and prevent fresh deficit blowouts, though it will not necessarily bring down elevated bond yields, analysts say. The US Treasury Department unveiled its quarterly refunding statement on Wednesday, with market participants describing the overall borrowing outlook as largely neutral. Based on its projected financing needs, the Treasury said it expected to keep note and bond auction... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373359/us-borrowing-outlook-steadies-after-midterms-treasury-yields-face-new-tests-analysts https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373359/us-borrowing-outlook-steadies-after-midterms-treasury-yields-face-new-tests-analysts Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Beijing says it remains open to buying more agricultural products from the United States, but wants reciprocal tariff cuts covering US$30 billion worth of products on each side to be implemented first under the US-China Board of Trade. “China has always maintained an open attitude towards expanding agricultural imports from the United States, provided that the agreed-upon reciprocal tariff reduction arrangement – covering $30 billion on each side – is implemented,” Huang Ling, a spokeswoman for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373412/china-ready-expand-us-agricultural-imports-if-board-trade-tariff-cuts-take-effect https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373412/china-ready-expand-us-agricultural-imports-if-board-trade-tariff-cuts-take-effect Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:00:21 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi Xinyi Wu,Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi The Democrats’ comprehensive victory in the US midterm elections could embolden Congress to assert greater authority over trade policy and scrutinise the deals President Donald Trump made with China, analysts say, though a dramatic shift in Washington’s trade policy is unlikely. “Congress, including pro-free trade Republicans who have been intimidated into standing down, might be inclined to reassert some degree of congressional authority on trade,” said Stephen Olson, a former US trade... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3373285/what-will-us-midterms-mean-trade-policy-china https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3373285/what-will-us-midterms-mean-trade-policy-china Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:00:09 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters Democrats seized both chambers of Congress in the 2026 US midterm elections, flipping Senate seats in Republican strongholds and ending the control President Donald Trump had enjoyed since his return to the White House. The war in Iran loomed over the vote, and Trump acknowledged that higher petrol prices had hurt his party, but said he would make the same decision to go to war again. When the new Congress convenes in January 2027, the Democrats will be able to block Trump’s legislation,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3373188/trumps-fate-balance-us-midterm-elections-put-house-senate-grabs https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3373188/trumps-fate-balance-us-midterm-elections-put-house-senate-grabs Tue, 03 Nov 2026 23:00:59 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing a ban on Chinese telecommunications companies obtaining American telephone numbers, citing national security concerns and the need to protect domestic networks. The proposed rules could prevent China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom and other service providers from obtaining numbers through internet-based voice services, the commission said on Thursday. The regulator is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its November 19 meeting.... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3372709/chinese-telecoms-giants-washingtons-crosshairs-fcc-weighs-fresh-curbs https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3372709/chinese-telecoms-giants-washingtons-crosshairs-fcc-weighs-fresh-curbs Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Robin Hu Robin Hu An aircraft supplier can have parts ready and a customer waiting yet be unable to ship while Washington holds up its licence. In Shanghai, Citi has approval to establish a securities business after years of waiting. Companies must invest, sign contracts and move production while the two governments negotiate. A board needs to know what can proceed now, what remains conditional and what could stop the business after the money has been spent. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3372307/xi-trump-summits-must-leave-businesses-greater-clarity-not-less https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3372307/xi-trump-summits-must-leave-businesses-greater-clarity-not-less Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu A former CIA official has called for Washington to spy on foreign companies to help US firms stay ahead in the technology race, in what would represent a break from long-standing US policy amid intensifying competition with China. “The US lead in many crucial advanced technologies is being contested or even erased by China,” wrote David Cohen, who served as deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, in an article published by Foreign Affairs... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3372475/us-should-spy-chinese-firms-maintain-edge-tech-race-ex-cia-official https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3372475/us-should-spy-chinese-firms-maintain-edge-tech-race-ex-cia-official Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Moritz Kraemer Moritz Kraemer Some readers, especially non-Americans, might wonder what the recurring squabbles in Washington over the debt ceiling and government shutdowns mean. That’s understandable. In virtually every country in the world, when the legislature approves a budget that results in net new borrowing of, say, 50 billion euros (US$55.8 billion), the government is thereby authorised to take on that debt to finance the budget. Not so in the United States. There, the budget and borrowing authorisation are two... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3372280/us-midterms-could-trigger-debt-ceiling-showdown-worse-2011 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3372280/us-midterms-could-trigger-debt-ceiling-showdown-worse-2011 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Just two weeks before the US midterm elections, Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he did not believe America would maintain its lead over China in frontier AI indefinitely, describing restrictions on advanced chips as Washington’s key leverage. “I don’t believe for one second that we’re going to maintain a lead over Chinese frontier models forever. But we should for as long as we can,” said Himes at a Brookings Institution event in Washington. “And the one... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371692/top-democrat-says-chip-restrictions-are-key-lever-us-ai-edge-over-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371692/top-democrat-says-chip-restrictions-are-key-lever-us-ai-edge-over-china Wed, 21 Oct 2026 20:36:57 +0000 Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin As turbulence grows in many countries, it is tempting to ask if there is a global hegemon that can sort everything out fairly. US President Donald Trump has threatened that his country would not defend Nato allies if they failed to spend enough on their defence. Together with new trade barriers, his words suggest that the US is scaling back its ambitions for global leadership and concentrating more on its own region. Our latest projections of national strength for 2027 take into account... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Washington and Beijing should put aside their mutual distrust to address the risks posed by artificial intelligence, much as the United States and Soviet Union cooperated on nuclear arms control during the Cold War, a former US Treasury secretary has urged. Robert Rubin, who served as US Treasury secretary under former president Bill Clinton from 1995 to 1999, cited the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) between Washington and Moscow decades ago as an example of two superpowers working... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3371382/us-china-should-learn-cold-war-era-arms-control-tackle-ai-risks-ex-us-official https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3371382/us-china-should-learn-cold-war-era-arms-control-tackle-ai-risks-ex-us-official Mon, 19 Oct 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen Robin Xing is chief China economist at Morgan Stanley. A famed economist and Peking University graduate, Xing has a PhD in economics from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and previously worked at Goldman Sachs and China International Capital Corp. In his second Open Questions interview, Xing dissects China’s K-shaped economic divergence and why he remains convinced that the “top half of the K” can offset challenges such as deflation and weak consumption. He also discusses Beijing’s real... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3371109/robin-xing-how-chinas-two-speed-economy-can-solve-contrasting-problems https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3371109/robin-xing-how-chinas-two-speed-economy-can-solve-contrasting-problems Sun, 18 Oct 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian China and the Philippines recently traded accusations over the medical evacuation of a Philippine serviceman from a grounded naval vessel in the hotly disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident has sparked renewed worries about potential armed skirmishes in a global artery of trade. But Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was also quick to emphasise the economic dimensions of a major conflict. After a decade of rapid economic growth, the Philippines is facing... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370775/philippines-china-free-manufacturing-strategy-high-risk-bet https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370775/philippines-china-free-manufacturing-strategy-high-risk-bet Sat, 17 Oct 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth China said on Thursday that the recent government approval allowing American bank card payment giant Visa to operate in the country was the “direct outcome” of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States last month. “The Visa card was granted permission to establish a banking card clearing institution,” said Qiu Wenxing, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese embassy in Washington. “It is a direct outcome of the presidential summit.” Visa received administrative approval... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371067/visas-china-approval-direct-outcome-trump-xi-summit-beijing-says https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371067/visas-china-approval-direct-outcome-trump-xi-summit-beijing-says Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:53:21 +0000 Han Li Han Li The world is on the cusp of a “China shock 3.0” driven by exports of artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology and robots, which could hit harder than the current wave, a leading economist on China has said. “We are already at the starting point of the China shock 3.0,” Alicia Garcia-Herrero, a senior fellow at Brussels-based think tank Bruegel and chief economist for Asia-Pacific at investment bank Natixis, told the South China Morning Post from Taipei after a virtual panel hosted by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370925/china-shock-30-be-driven-ai-biotech-and-robot-exports-economist-says https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370925/china-shock-30-be-driven-ai-biotech-and-robot-exports-economist-says Wed, 14 Oct 2026 22:00:47 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Bank of America, the second-largest US bank, failed to promptly report hundreds of millions of dollars in suspicious transactions bearing signs of Chinese money-laundering networks, US regulators said on Tuesday, announcing more than US$1.21 billion in penalties for broader anti-money-laundering and sanctions failures. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, said the activity included large wire transfers to counterparties in China, repeated credit-card purchases at major retailers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370920/bank-america-fined-us121-billion-us-flags-suspected-chinese-money-laundering https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370920/bank-america-fined-us121-billion-us-flags-suspected-chinese-money-laundering Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:47:33 +0000 Ji Siqi,Emma Ma Ji Siqi,Emma Ma The People’s Bank of China on Tuesday gave its approval to Visa to make preparations for a locally registered bank card clearing organisation, calling the move a major step in the country’s financial opening up in an online statement. The US card payment giant will have one year to finish its advance arrangements, after which it may submit an application to begin operations, the central bank added. With a local clearing organisation, Visa would be able to settle domestic yuan transactions... https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3370674/china-approves-locally-registered-bank-card-organisation-visa https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3370674/china-approves-locally-registered-bank-card-organisation-visa Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:52:05 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Goldman Sachs president John Waldron has called on China to loosen foreign exchange rules, ease cross-border data restrictions and improve regulatory transparency as the country’s policymakers seek to strengthen Shanghai’s role as an international financial centre. Waldron, also the investment bank’s chief operating officer and widely seen as a front runner to succeed its current CEO David Solomon, expressed confidence in the city’s potential at an annual meeting of business leaders advising the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3370551/goldman-sachs-president-urges-market-reforms-boost-shanghais-financial-hub-role https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3370551/goldman-sachs-president-urges-market-reforms-boost-shanghais-financial-hub-role Mon, 12 Oct 2026 06:07:33 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The Port of Los Angeles, the largest container port in the United States and the country’s leading gateway for imports from China and other Asian countries, had its busiest three-month period on record from July through to September, despite persistent uncertainty over tariffs and shifting global trade supply chains. “If there was ever a time for a drum roll, this is it,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, during a media briefing on Friday. “July through September... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370410/key-us-port-china-imports-records-best-ever-quarter-despite-trade-uncertainty https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370410/key-us-port-china-imports-records-best-ever-quarter-despite-trade-uncertainty Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:54:02 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong US President Donald Trump has opened the American market to Russian diesel, reversing years of sanctions pressure on Moscow just three weeks after signing a law to punish buyers of its energy, as record fuel prices threaten his party in next month’s midterm elections. Trump said on Truth Social on Friday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had reached the supply deal in a phone call that had been expected to focus on suspected plague cases in Russia. According to Trump, Russia will... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370409/trump-says-us-get-diesel-russia-stunning-bid-ease-prices https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370409/trump-says-us-get-diesel-russia-stunning-bid-ease-prices Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:23:30 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Flavio Bolsonaro said he would work with the US and China if he becomes Brazil’s president, after a surprise election performance left him poised to join a wave of conservative leaders pushing Latin America closer to Washington. “I’m not going to pick sides,” Bolsonaro said at an event in Brasilia on Thursday. “My side will be the Brazilian people, whether we’re dealing with China, Israel, the Middle East, Argentina or India. It doesn’t matter. That’s how I’m going to govern.” Bolsonaro finished... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3370246/flavio-bolsonaro-says-he-would-work-china-and-us-brazils-president https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3370246/flavio-bolsonaro-says-he-would-work-china-and-us-brazils-president Thu, 08 Oct 2026 23:37:31 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick BYD is studying whether to manufacture lithium batteries in Argentina, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said on Thursday after meeting Stella Li, the Chinese electric vehicle maker’s executive vice-president. According to Quirno, the company was looking at “investment opportunities in Argentina linked to the lithium value chain, particularly in the production of batteries and energy storage systems”. He did not say how much BYD might spend or where the factory could go. The minister tied the talks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370236/chinas-byd-considering-lithium-battery-plant-argentina-foreign-minister-says https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370236/chinas-byd-considering-lithium-battery-plant-argentina-foreign-minister-says Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:52:55 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump talked tariffs, agricultural quotas and critical minerals at last month’s closely watched summit in Washington, an “elephant in the room” loomed over the discussion: China’s efforts to gradually diversify away from US dollar assets. Beijing has gradually been cutting its holdings of US Treasuries while pushing to expand the yuan’s global use and developing alternative financial architecture. While these issues may not have featured in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors Tue, 06 Oct 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The race to loosen China’s grip on tungsten is moving to Kazakhstan, where United States-backed mining projects are attempting to compete in an industry where Chinese investment already has an operating foothold. Global tungsten prices have surged more than 200 per cent since May 2025, according to commodity and energy information provider Argus Media, adding urgency to efforts to develop alternative supplies. The soaring costs followed Beijing’s export controls on selected tungsten products... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3369599/china-has-dominated-tungsten-decades-can-us-cash-central-asia-loosen-its-grip https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3369599/china-has-dominated-tungsten-decades-can-us-cash-central-asia-loosen-its-grip Sat, 03 Oct 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva named China as a possible partner in his critical minerals plans, three days before Sunday’s closely fought election. Lula told Flow, one of the country’s most-watched podcasts, on Thursday evening that Brazil should stop shipping out raw ore. “We want to transform them here in Brazil,” he said of the minerals. Asked whether China fit into his plans, Lula said it could be a partner “bringing technology to us”, as could the United States. “[Donald]... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369636/brazils-lula-hails-bold-chinese-investors-rival-pitches-rare-earths-trump https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369636/brazils-lula-hails-bold-chinese-investors-rival-pitches-rare-earths-trump Fri, 02 Oct 2026 21:04:21 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday that there is no timeline yet for implementing the US-China Board of Trade, one of the key economic outcomes of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last week. Speaking on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Greer said the tariff reductions under the mechanism were “a policy outcome” and that the recommendations would have to go through a legal process before... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3369490/greer-says-no-specific-timeline-set-enforcing-us-china-board-trade https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3369490/greer-says-no-specific-timeline-set-enforcing-us-china-board-trade Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:54:03 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US soybean farmers have described the exclusion of US soybeans from China’s import list under the newly announced Board of Trade mechanism as a “missed opportunity”, even as Beijing ramped up purchases of the crop ahead of last week’s summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. The trade forum, unveiled by both sides on Sunday, covered a range of US agricultural products for export to China, including meat, dairy, corn, wheat, sorghum and vegetable oils, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3369119/missed-opportunity-us-soybean-farmers-question-exclusion-china-tariff-cuts https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3369119/missed-opportunity-us-soybean-farmers-question-exclusion-china-tariff-cuts Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:48:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new US$15 billion steel plant being built in Iowa, highlighting an economic victory in a key battleground state where Republicans face competitive midterm races. Trump announced the new plant at an Oval Office event alongside steel executives and Iowa Republicans, including two running for office. The event highlighted Iowa’s elevated status for Republicans and for Trump, who on Monday pledged to campaign there in coming weeks. “We’re going to do a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369110/trump-announcing-new-iowa-steel-plant-white-house-says-will-be-biggest-us https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369110/trump-announcing-new-iowa-steel-plant-white-house-says-will-be-biggest-us Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:02:58 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China agreed to import at least 10 million tonnes of US coal in each of the next two years, marking one of the few concrete results from President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. The country will also lower tariffs on 1,619 US products, including coal, under a deal to reduce levies on US$30 billion of non-sensitive goods shipped in each direction, according to a White House statement. Other items include agricultural goods, cosmetics and medical devices. The US will cut levies on... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369060/china-resuming-us-coal-imports-among-thin-list-summit-outcomes https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369060/china-resuming-us-coal-imports-among-thin-list-summit-outcomes Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:16:13 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Scott Kennedy is a senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese business and economics at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. His areas of focus include China’s hi-tech drive, US-China relations and global economic governance. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. How would you characterise the outcomes of the China-US summit compared to expectations going in? Is it largely a continuation of that track or do you see it moving the relationship... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368961/scott-kennedy-xi-trump-summit-and-us-china-instability https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368961/scott-kennedy-xi-trump-summit-and-us-china-instability Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:00:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rebrand of artificial intelligence (AI) — and looking to get the world’s other AI superpower, China, on board. All US government documents, and “hopefully the world’s”, will use the term “superintelligence”, or SI, to refer to the fast-evolving technology, Trump said at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. The same day, the US State Department ordered US diplomats to use SI instead of AI in all communications moving forward, the Associated... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368921/amid-many-thorny-issues-china-trump-pushes-rename-ai-superintelligence https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368921/amid-many-thorny-issues-china-trump-pushes-rename-ai-superintelligence Sat, 26 Sep 2026 22:15:40 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Brics-founded New Development Bank could help launch a fund by the end of the year to guarantee cheap loans for poor families in Africa and Latin America, Brazil’s social development minister said. The scheme would be the Shanghai-based lender’s first financial commitment to Brazil’s global anti-hunger alliance, an initiative sidelined by Washington’s presidency of the G20 this year. Wellington Dias told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen The Xi-Trump summit may prove more significant for stabilising relations and opening space for further negotiations between the world’s two largest economies than for its immediate trade outcomes, analysts said, pointing to the significance of a new dialogue on artificial intelligence. With the two leaders expected to meet again in the coming months, attention could shift from extending the latest tariff truce to building a more durable framework for managing economic and technological... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368908/trade-truce-extension-aside-was-ai-real-xi-trump-summit-breakthrough https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368908/trade-truce-extension-aside-was-ai-real-xi-trump-summit-breakthrough Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:39:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters Alabama said on Friday it had reached a settlement with TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, that required the social media platform to impose new usage limits and enhanced age-verification measures for users in the US state, resolving claims that the platform endangered children and misled consumers about its safety. The agreement, which came days before a scheduled trial, calls for TikTok to implement changes for teenagers in Alabama including a two-hour daily time limit, pauses... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368877/tiktok-settles-lawsuit-alabama-least-us100m-apply-safety-steps https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368877/tiktok-settles-lawsuit-alabama-least-us100m-apply-safety-steps Sat, 26 Sep 2026 01:38:08 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus all year round. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. After three days in Washington, President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan returned to China with a promise of more face-to-face diplomacy with US President Donald Trump later this year, but not a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368858/last-day-xis-us-visit-begins-trump-white-house-tea https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368858/last-day-xis-us-visit-begins-trump-white-house-tea Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:49:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters The two US senators backing a permanent legislative ban on Chinese cars in the United States agreed on Thursday to delay their plan to use a fast track procedure to win Senate approval until next week, to seek the support of a lone holdout. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno and Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin had planned to seek ‌approval for the procedure – which requires unanimous Senate backing – on Thursday, the same day that US President Donald Trump met China’s President Xi Jinping in... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:30:27 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Xi’s US summit: Access real-time updates, geopolitical risk analysis, and exclusive reporting from an Asian perspective. Subscribe now with our limited-time offer to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan arrived at the White House on Thursday, on Xi’s first trip to the US in nearly a decade, following US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing in May. Trump greeted Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:53:20 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s outbound direct investment reached a record high of US$214 billion last year, even as investment in the United States plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade amid growing geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty, latest official data showed. Outbound direct investment was up 11.1 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year, making China the world’s second-largest source of global capital, behind only the US and ranking ahead of Japan, according to an annual report jointly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368642/chinas-overseas-investment-hits-record-us214-billion-why-are-us-bound-flows-plunging https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368642/chinas-overseas-investment-hits-record-us214-billion-why-are-us-bound-flows-plunging Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:30:19 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen An extension of the US-China trade truce, agreed upon at an unscheduled meeting between the two countries’ top economic officials, underscores a willingness to contain trade tensions, according to analysts who deemed it a positive signal for this week’s presidential summit. While the rollover extends the truce by only two months, the analysts said it provided businesses with a measure of short-term certainty while raising the stakes for the next round of talks to determine whether the truce can... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368663/what-2-month-trade-truce-extension-between-china-and-us-reveals-rifts-persist https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368663/what-2-month-trade-truce-extension-between-china-and-us-reveals-rifts-persist Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:30:15 +0000 Ji Siqi,Teresa Elena Frontado,Carol Yang,Alyssa Chen Ji Siqi,Teresa Elena Frontado,Carol Yang,Alyssa Chen With China and the US agreeing to extend a tariff truce that was set to expire in November – and US President Donald Trump giving his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, a personal welcome on the tarmac – analysts say the Chinese leader’s state visit has begun on a positive note. The extension will run for two months through January 10, a sign the world’s two largest economies are willing to negotiate broader agreements and build positive momentum despite an increasingly heightened rivalry spanning... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368583/deep-respect-analysts-weigh-trumps-red-carpet-welcome-xi https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368583/deep-respect-analysts-weigh-trumps-red-carpet-welcome-xi Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:30:20 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Chinese President Xi Jinping landed at Joint Base Andrews late Wednesday afternoon after a 15-hour flight where he was met on the tarmac by US President Donald Trump in an unusual move for a top American leader as the two sides extended a trade truce. The closely watched visit – Xi’s first summit in the United States in 11 years – comes as the two nations grapple with a host of thorny issues beneath the flowery language and statements of friendship, including artificial intelligence, critical... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368568/xi-lands-us-high-stakes-summit-trump-amid-deep-tensions https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368568/xi-lands-us-high-stakes-summit-trump-amid-deep-tensions Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:46:57 +0000 SCMP SCMP This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump at Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews airbase, in the first face-to-face talks between the Chinese and American leaders since Trump visited Beijing in May. On this first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368567/xi-begin-3-day-us-visit-rare-airport-welcome-trump https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368567/xi-begin-3-day-us-visit-rare-airport-welcome-trump Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:18:58 +0000