https://www.scmp.com/rss/522372/feed The US Commerce Department is an executive department of the U.S. federal government, headquartered in the Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, D.C.. Its primary mission is to foster economic growth, job creation, and technological advancement by promoting domestic and international trade. Key activities include gathering economic data, establishing industrial standards, regulating sensitive technology exports, granting patents and trademarks, and supporting U.S. businesses and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin In two different cases on Wednesday, United States authorities charged Chinese nationals with offences ranging from conspiring to smuggle advanced AI chips to China to drug trafficking and money laundering. The cases came on the same day US President Donald Trump announced new mid-May dates for his highly anticipated summit with China. The developments come as the two countries continue to compete over global leadership in artificial intelligence, and as Washington continues to accuse Beijing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347923/chinese-nationals-companies-charged-us-smuggling-ai-chips-and-drug-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347923/chinese-nationals-companies-charged-us-smuggling-ai-chips-and-drug-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:50:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US economy grew at a significantly slower pace than initially estimated for the final months of 2025, government data showed on Friday, a major downgrade that comes as fallout from war in the Middle East looms. US gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 0.7 per cent in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department said. This was sharply down from its earlier estimated 1.4 per cent over the October to December period. It also indicates that the world’s biggest economy was on a weaker... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346556/us-economic-growth-slumps-07-fourth-quarter-stoking-inflation-worries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346556/us-economic-growth-slumps-07-fourth-quarter-stoking-inflation-worries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:49:12 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Nvidia has yet to generate any revenue from its H200 chips in China and does not know if any sales will be allowed in the country, the company said, as the US chip giant reported record quarterly revenue on surging demand for data centre processors. While the Santa Clara-based tech giant remains the primary beneficiary of the global generative artificial intelligence boom, its ability to navigate the US-China tech war has become a challenge, with the pipeline for the H200 – Nvidia’s second-most... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344663/china-freeze-h200-chip-sales-clouds-nvidias-record-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344663/china-freeze-h200-chip-sales-clouds-nvidias-record-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 02:00:05 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump faces rare pushback within his party over tariffs as polls slide President Donald Trump faced noteworthy pushback in February over his signature tariff policy in the US Congress while his popularity slipped and more lawmakers in his party appeared willing to risk his wrath. Read the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343380/secret-nuclear-testing-claims-military-ai-race-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343380/secret-nuclear-testing-claims-military-ai-race-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration reached a trade deal with Taiwan on Thursday, with Taiwan agreeing to remove or reduce 99 per cent of its tariff barriers, the office of the US Trade Representative said. The agreement comes as the US remains reliant on Taiwan for its production of computer chips, the exporting of which contributed to a trade imbalance of nearly US$127 billion during the first 11 months of 2025, according to the Census Bureau. Taiwan’s exports to the US will be taxed at a 15 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343386/trump-admin-signs-trade-deal-lower-taiwans-tariff-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343386/trump-admin-signs-trade-deal-lower-taiwans-tariff-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:30:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick minimised his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein Tuesday even as he acknowledged visiting the disgraced financier at his private island in 2012 after Epstein was a convicted sex offender - and years later than he previously said their relationship ended. Lutnick, speaking to a Senate panel, described going to Epstein’s island after being asked in Tuesday’s hearing about US Justice Department documents showing he had planned a visit. “I did have lunch with him,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343111/trump-commerce-chief-admits-travelling-epstein-island-faces-calls-resign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343111/trump-commerce-chief-admits-travelling-epstein-island-faces-calls-resign?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:34:50 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States’ decision to lift key arms-export restrictions on Cambodia signals a thaw in long-strained defence ties, but Phnom Penh is likely to make only modest purchases and remain heavily reliant on Chinese weaponry for the foreseeable future, analysts say. In what Cambodian media described as a landmark move, the US Department of Commerce last week removed Cambodia from “Country Group D:5” – a classification that had effectively barred most US arms exports – according to a notice... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343079/what-us-lifting-arms-embargo-cambodia-means-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343079/what-us-lifting-arms-embargo-cambodia-means-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:07:49 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US trade deficit sharply widened in November as imports picked up, according to government data released Thursday, reversing an unexpectedly big pullback in the prior month lauded by US President Donald Trump. The trade gap surged by 94.6 per cent in November to US$56.8 billion, Commerce Department data showed, bringing it close to levels seen in June and August last year. The shift reflected fluctuations in goods like gold and pharmaceuticals, in a year already marked by major swings in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341742/us-trade-deficit-widens-sharply-reversing-big-pullback-lauded-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341742/us-trade-deficit-widens-sharply-reversing-big-pullback-lauded-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 17:55:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The geopolitical tug of war over artificial intelligence between the United States and China has created an intriguing situation. With the US Department of Commerce approving the sale of the H200, Nvidia’s second-most-advanced semiconductor, to Chinese firms, people might think China would welcome it. Instead, Beijing is encouraging a boycott to get domestic tech firms to use Chinese-made chips. America’s “small yard, high fence” strategy to restrict tech transfer to China has given way to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3341004/chinas-caution-about-nvidias-advanced-chips-only-prudent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3341004/chinas-caution-about-nvidias-advanced-chips-only-prudent?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s administration has pushed out a Commerce Department official whose office effectively barred ‍nearly all Chinese cars from the US market for national security reasons, according to people familiar with the matter. Elizabeth “Liz” Cannon has resigned as executive director for Information and Communications Technology and Services, an office created in 2022 to investigate threats to the supply chain from foreign adversaries, the people said. News of Cannon’s impending... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341071/trump-admin-pushes-out-official-whose-unit-banned-chinese-vehicles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341071/trump-admin-pushes-out-official-whose-unit-banned-chinese-vehicles?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:49:13 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Bochen Han Khushboo Razdan,Bochen Han A move to curb US President Donald Trump’s power to sell advanced AI chips to China moved a step closer on Wednesday when a Republican-led congressional panel joined hands with their Democratic counterparts, brushing aside objections from the White House and chip giant Nvidia. The action has put Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on a collision course with Trump’s top AI adviser David Sacks and drawn sharp criticism from Maga-aligned... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340751/trumps-decision-sell-ai-chips-china-under-pressure-house-bill-against-deal-advances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340751/trumps-decision-sell-ai-chips-china-under-pressure-house-bill-against-deal-advances?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:14:09 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s opposition parties are stepping up criticism of the island’s government over a controversial economic deal with the United States, warning that what officials portray as a tariff win could carry heavy long-term costs for the island’s economy and industrial base. The cabinet on Tuesday released further details of the agreement, which allows Taiwan to secure a 15 per cent reciprocal tariff rate. The rate is down from a previously proposed 20 per cent and broadly in line with Japan, South... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340583/taiwan-pressure-builds-over-us-deal-critics-question-true-cost-us-tariff-cut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340583/taiwan-pressure-builds-over-us-deal-critics-question-true-cost-us-tariff-cut?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:04:32 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han US President Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside concerns over a Canada-China trade deal involving Ottawa agreeing to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying it was “a good thing” for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to pursue the deal. “That’s OK. That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said, when asked about the agreement announced earlier in the day. The remarks not only... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340232/trump-shrugs-concerns-over-canada-china-ev-deal-calls-it-good-thing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340232/trump-shrugs-concerns-over-canada-china-ev-deal-calls-it-good-thing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:55:15 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A US spending bill approving US$300 million in cash assistance for Taiwan’s military has passed the House of Representatives and is expected to become law. On Wednesday, the House passed a two-bill government spending package that would fund the Departments of the Treasury and State through September, along with other federal agencies, bringing the total to eight of 12 annual spending bills needed by January 30, to avoid a government shutdown. The bills must now clear the Senate before they can... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3340074/us-bill-approving-us300-million-taiwans-military-passed-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3340074/us-bill-approving-us300-million-taiwans-military-passed-house?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 22:09:56 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Chinese companies are expected to shoulder higher costs for deploying advanced chips from the US, owing to a new 25 per cent tariff imposed by Washington on select high-performance semiconductors, according to analysts. The administration of US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the new import duties on advanced artificial intelligence chips covered Nvidia’s H200 and Advanced Micro Devices’ MI325X graphics processing units, as well as their equivalent products and derivatives. According to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3340035/chinese-firms-incur-higher-costs-deploying-advanced-ai-chips-us-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3340035/chinese-firms-incur-higher-costs-deploying-advanced-ai-chips-us-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump has put allies and trade partners on notice, invoking national security powers to ease China’s chokehold on critical minerals, warning global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade barriers, including tariffs. In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, the “America first” president declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat. He directed US Trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339939/trump-sets-180-day-deadline-counter-chinas-control-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339939/trump-sets-180-day-deadline-counter-chinas-control-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:09:22 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The US has officially green-lighted Nvidia to sell its H200 artificial intelligence chips in China, as the Trump administration seeks to strike a balance between curtailing China’s AI progress and maintaining American AI firms’ global market share. The H200, US chip giant Nvidia’s second-most-advanced AI processor, can be shipped to China under conditions that include that its China shipments account for no more than half of the amount sold domestically, according to the Department of Commerce’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339797/us-government-approves-nvidia-h200-chip-exports-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339797/us-government-approves-nvidia-h200-chip-exports-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 23:14:41 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China turns mega-project failure into defining moment in modern engineering China has pulled off a daring underground feat, using a multimillion-dollar tunnel boring machine (TBM) to recover its stranded twin beneath the country’s largest river. 2. System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3339536/chinas-daring-engineering-feat-malaysia-border-chaos-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3339536/chinas-daring-engineering-feat-malaysia-border-chaos-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 03:31:58 +0000 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan The US Commerce Department has revoked a plan to slap restrictions on Chinese drones, originally proposed to address national security concerns, the latest example of the Donald Trump administration avoiding actions that might fuel tensions ahead of a planned summit between Trump and President Xi Jinping this spring. “This decision underscores President Trump’s desire to sustain the trade framework that he and President Xi approved this past October and ensure a cordial meeting between the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339412/us-commerce-department-drops-plan-crack-down-chinese-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339412/us-commerce-department-drops-plan-crack-down-chinese-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 22:45:18 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese automotive chip designer Black Sesame Technologies’ Huashan A2000 chip has passed reviews by US authorities, paving the way for its global roll-out. Built on the advanced 7-nanometre process, which was ready for mass production in January 2025, was subject to US scrutiny “due to its ultra-high performance”, the company said in a post on its website on Monday. “Following nearly a year of technical clarifications and communications”, the chip passed “relevant reviews” of the US Department... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3338742/chinese-automotive-chipmaker-black-sesames-huashan-a2000-clears-us-review-hurdle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3338742/chinese-automotive-chipmaker-black-sesames-huashan-a2000-clears-us-review-hurdle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:32:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US government ‍has granted an annual licence to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to import American chip manufacturing equipment to its fabrication facility in Nanjing, the capital of eastern China’s Jiangsu province, according to the company. The approval “ensures uninterrupted fab operations and product deliveries”, TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said in a statement on Thursday to Reuters. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have also received similar... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338380/us-grants-tsmc-annual-licence-import-american-chipmaking-tools-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338380/us-grants-tsmc-annual-licence-import-american-chipmaking-tools-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:05:57 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese artificial intelligence unicorn Moonshot AI has raised US$500 million in its recent Series C funding round, according to a report, as start-up rivals MiniMax Group and Zhipu AI gear up for their initial public offerings (IPOs). Moonshot AI, developer of the highly lauded Kimi AI models, saw IDG Capital lay out US$150 million to lead the latest financing round, with existing stakeholders Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings also participating, Chinese technology news outlet LatePost... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338334/chinas-moonshot-ai-raises-us500-million-latest-funding-round-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338334/chinas-moonshot-ai-raises-us500-million-latest-funding-round-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 02:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press A US federal judge on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump’s US$100,000 fee to process H-1B visa applications, while also acknowledging it could “inflict significant harm on American businesses and institutions of higher education”. In a 56-page opinion, US District Judge Beryl Howell wrote that the president has “broad statutory authority” to address “a problem he perceives to be a matter of economic and national security”. The US$100,000 application fee announced in September gave companies... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337657/trumps-us100000-h-1b-visa-fee-upheld-judge-lottery-system-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337657/trumps-us100000-h-1b-visa-fee-upheld-judge-lottery-system-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:42:33 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han The US telecommunications regulator said on Monday that it is adding Shenzhen-based DJI, the world’s largest drone maker, to a list of companies determined to pose “unacceptable risks” to US national security, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s effort to crack down on Chinese drones. Addition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s “covered list” means that DJI, which accounts for over half of all US commercial drones, will not be able to obtain approvals to sell new drone... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337398/us-bars-approvals-new-models-chinas-dji-all-other-foreign-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337398/us-bars-approvals-new-models-chinas-dji-all-other-foreign-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 21:56:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two senior Democratic lawmakers on Monday asked the ‌US Commerce Department to disclose details ‍and any approvals of continuing licence reviews for potential sales to Chinese firms of Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chips. US President Donald Trump this month said he would allow sales of Nvidia’s (NVDA.O) H200 chips to China, with the US government collecting a 25 per cent ‍fee, and that the sales would help ‍keep US firms ahead of Chinese chipmakers by cutting demand for Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3337395/lawmakers-want-us-disclose-any-approvals-nvidia-h200-china-licences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3337395/lawmakers-want-us-disclose-any-approvals-nvidia-h200-china-licences?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:43:50 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Leading Chinese artificial intelligence start-up Moonshot AI has been singled out as evidence of the “growing depth” of China’s AI industry, according to a new US government report. An increasing number of Chinese companies were now developing world-leading “open-weight” AI models, not just DeepSeek, the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the Department of Commerce said on Friday. The CAISI report was the second US government evaluation of a leading Chinese model developer, after... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336450/kimi-developer-moonshot-shows-chinas-growing-ai-depth-us-government-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336450/kimi-developer-moonshot-shows-chinas-growing-ai-depth-us-government-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters A bipartisan group of US senators, including prominent Republican China hawk Tom Cotton, on Thursday unveiled a bill that would block the Trump administration from loosening rules that restrict Beijing’s access to artificial intelligence chips for two-and-a-half years. The bill, known as the SAFE CHIPS Act, was filed by Republican Senator Pete Ricketts and Democrat Chris Coons. It would require the Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, to deny any license requests for buyers in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335255/senators-unveil-bill-keep-trump-easing-curbs-ai-chip-sales-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335255/senators-unveil-bill-keep-trump-easing-curbs-ai-chip-sales-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 20:45:38 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As they look to keep the United States engaged in Ukraine and push for lower trade tariffs, EU ministers lobbied their US counterparts for joint policies on China on Monday – even as new public opinion polling shows a waning appetite for such a partnership. The China carrot was dangled by successive ministers ahead of and after a meeting of the bloc’s trade council in Brussels, which was attended by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. This is despite... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese investment is still being actively welcomed in Ireland, the head of a major business organisation said, even as the wider European Union adopts a more cautious attitude and Dublin walks a tightrope to maintain ties with both the US and China amid a wide-ranging rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. “We’re firmly open for business within the EU rules, that is an unambiguous position,” Mary Rose Burke, CEO of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, told the Post in an interview last... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333696/ireland-business-chamber-welcomes-chinese-investment-despite-us-eu-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333696/ireland-business-chamber-welcomes-chinese-investment-despite-us-eu-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 06:00:20 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A senior US Democrat is urging the Commerce Department to investigate four Chinese semiconductor firms potentially tied to Dutch chipmaker Nexperia, warning they could threaten the safety and reliability of components used in cars across the US and its allies. The request marks the latest twist in the turmoil surrounding the Chinese-owned firm, which has become a flashpoint in broader disputes involving China, Europe, and the US, following months of internal conflicts, regulatory intervention... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3333456/top-democrat-demands-us-probe-4-chinese-firms-potentially-supplying-nexperia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3333456/top-democrat-demands-us-probe-4-chinese-firms-potentially-supplying-nexperia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:27:17 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang One of the architects of former US President Joe Biden’s tech export controls warned on Thursday that Washington needs better coordination with allies to deny China access to high-end chips and cutting-edge products, criticising a plan by US President Donald Trump’s administration to allow sales of certain Nvidia chips. Citing Beijing’s massive spending on efforts to establish China’s technological leadership, former commerce secretary Gina Raimondo said in a panel discussion at the Council on... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3332714/china-must-not-be-sold-latest-cutting-edge-technology-says-former-us-commerce-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3332714/china-must-not-be-sold-latest-cutting-edge-technology-says-former-us-commerce-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 23:37:19 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A group of US Republican lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping at an expected summit next week about Americans they view as unjustly detained or barred from leaving China, framing Beijing’s use of exit bans and detention as “tools” to gain leverage. In a letter released on Thursday, three Republicans – Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Representatives Chris Smith of New Jersey and John Moolenaar of Michigan – highlighted the cases of two Americans,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3330123/us-lawmakers-urge-trump-press-xi-american-detainees-exit-bans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3330123/us-lawmakers-urge-trump-press-xi-american-detainees-exit-bans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:54:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters A lobbying group whose board includes US firms such as Oracle, Amazon and Exxon Mobil is urging the Trump administration to immediately suspend a rule it says halted billions of dollars’ worth of US exports and will prompt China and other countries to drop US firms from their supply chains. In a letter addressed to US President Donald Trump and seen by Reuters, the National Foreign Trade Council takes aim at the so-called Affiliates Rule, which bars American companies from shipping goods and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329720/us-business-lobby-urges-trump-end-new-curbs-exports-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329720/us-business-lobby-urges-trump-end-new-curbs-exports-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 19:58:47 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The policy address has sparked discussion across Hong Kong. Afterwards, I had the privilege of speaking directly with Chief Executive John Lee during a special phone-in programme on RTHK Radio 3. I seized the opportunity to raise two issues: higher education and halal inclusivity,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3329366/when-it-comes-halal-inclusivity-john-lee-listening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3329366/when-it-comes-halal-inclusivity-john-lee-listening?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan Blame games, tit-for-tat threats, off-again on-again meetings between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and wild tariff swings seem to be the recent order of the day. According to former government officials and analysts, however, this should come as no surprise – it’s just the price you pay when diplomatic norms are brushed off. In the latest twist in the saga, Trump on Friday swung from tough to conciliatory, appearing to reverse threats made a week earlier to cancel... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3329484/will-trump-and-xis-shock-tactics-ruin-any-chances-ending-us-china-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3329484/will-trump-and-xis-shock-tactics-ruin-any-chances-ending-us-china-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 22:26:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters The largest American business lobbying group filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging US President Donald Trump’s US$100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The lawsuit by the US Chamber of Commerce, which says it represents 300,000 businesses, is the group’s first against the Trump administration since the Republican president took office for a second term in January. The chamber says in the lawsuit that Trump’s September proclamation imposing the fee on new H-1B visa... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329306/us-chamber-commerce-sues-trump-administration-over-us100000-h-1b-visa-fee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329306/us-chamber-commerce-sues-trump-administration-over-us100000-h-1b-visa-fee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:46:28 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han Chinese drone maker DJI has appealed a US federal court’s decision that it should remain on the Pentagon’s blacklist of companies allegedly linked to China’s military. The Shenzhen-based company filed the appeal on Monday to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. DJI filed a lawsuit last October, arguing that it is not owned or controlled by the Chinese military and does not contribute to China’s defence industrial base. The drone manufacturer, which sells over half of all US commercial... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3329031/china-drone-maker-dji-appeals-inclusion-pentagons-chinese-military-companies-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3329031/china-drone-maker-dji-appeals-inclusion-pentagons-chinese-military-companies-list?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 18:20:57 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore’s government has reinforced its bottomline of zero tolerance for the politics of race and religion as well as foreign interference, arguing that such elements should be rejected swiftly. In parliament on Tuesday, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh and Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam disagreed on the “timing” and “substance” of the WP in rejecting election endorsements by a self-styled Islamic preacher Noor Deros and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:51:39 +0000 Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Analysts said a mutual de-escalation is expected in the short term between the US and China, a development that would provide some relief for global markets after last week’s barrage of economic sanctions, export controls and vows of triple-digit tariffs threatened to send the world’s two largest economies into another devastating escalatory cycle. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump adopted a softer tone compared to previous comments on the tensions with Beijing, telling reporters, “I think... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328829/us-china-trade-flare-short-term-scare-both-sides-seek-ramp-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328829/us-china-trade-flare-short-term-scare-both-sides-seek-ramp-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Ann Cao Xinmei Shen,Ann Cao China has opened an investigation into US chip giant Qualcomm, as Beijing intensifies its technology war with Washington amid heightened trade tensions. The US company was suspected of violating China’s anti-monopoly law in its acquisition of the Israeli vehicle semiconductor company Autotalks, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a statement on Friday, without disclosing further details. Qualcomm announced in June that it had completed the acquisition of Autotalks,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328542/china-launches-antitrust-probe-us-chip-giant-qualcomm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328542/china-launches-antitrust-probe-us-chip-giant-qualcomm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:27:59 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China sanctions US defence firms, chip data provider in latest curbs Beijing has announced sanctions on a slew of Western companies and institutions in the defence sector and a leading semiconductor data analysis provider, marking its latest salvo amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States. 2. China says foreigners are using its rare earth exports... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328421/china-sanctions-us-defence-firms-super-golden-week-spending-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328421/china-sanctions-us-defence-firms-super-golden-week-spending-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:30:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao The Chinese government has put a Canadian semiconductor consultancy, which is known for its reverse-engineering analysis of chips to track their source, on a trade blacklist in a sign of a widening tech war with the West. Ottawa-based TechInsights was added to the “unreliable entity list” published by China’s Ministry of Commerce and banned from doing business with the country. Chinese individuals and organisations have been told not to “transmit data or provide sensitive information” to the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3328414/beijing-targets-consultancy-does-teardown-reports-huawei-chips-tech-war-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3328414/beijing-targets-consultancy-does-teardown-reports-huawei-chips-tech-war-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:00:30 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The US Department of Commerce said on Wednesday it would add a dozen companies based in China to a restricted trade list for their alleged roles in facilitating the purchase and use of American components and tech found in the weaponised drones said to be operated by Hamas and Houthi militants in Yemen. Ten companies in China were designated for the Commerce Department’s “entity list” for facilitating the purchase of components found in these drones, according to a final rule published in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328288/us-adds-china-based-companies-blacklist-over-drone-parts-tied-hamas-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328288/us-adds-china-based-companies-blacklist-over-drone-parts-tied-hamas-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:46:17 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han The number of students arriving from Asia to the US in August fell by nearly 24 per cent this year compared with last year, according to recently released US government data, marking the lowest August numbers on record outside of the Covid-19 pandemic. The data, based on arrival records of international students published by the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA), includes both new students and existing students returning to the US. August arrival data typically... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328059/asian-student-arrivals-us-plunge-lowest-level-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328059/asian-student-arrivals-us-plunge-lowest-level-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 21:19:29 +0000 Asma Khalid Asma Khalid There are fresh worries across Europe’s factory floors. The US has started applying steel and aluminium tariffs to a growing list of finished goods. In August, Washington added 407 new items to the tariff list. These include parts for wind turbines, cranes, bulldozers, railcars, motorcycles, marine engines, appliances and furniture. It marks a shift from raw materials to the everyday components Europe sells to American buyers. Earlier in June, the White House had already doubled the tariff rate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327729/europe-should-focus-beating-us-tariffs-not-chinese-evs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327729/europe-should-focus-beating-us-tariffs-not-chinese-evs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese models lag behind their American counterparts in performance, cost, security and adoption, despite their growing global popularity, according to a new report from the US government. Describing Chinese models as “adversary AI”, the report released on Tuesday by the Centre for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Commerce claimed that models such as those from DeepSeek posed risks to AI developers, consumers... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3327613/tech-war-chinese-ai-models-deemed-security-risk-new-us-government-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3327613/tech-war-chinese-ai-models-deemed-security-risk-new-us-government-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:00:13 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A US federal judge on Friday rejected a push by Shenzhen-based DJI, the world’s largest drone manufacturer, to be removed from the Pentagon’s blacklist of companies allegedly linked to China’s military. In his opinion, US District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington said the Department of Defence had substantial evidence supporting its finding that DJI, which accounts for over half of all US commercial drones, contributes to the “Chinese defence industrial base”. DJI had filed a suit last October... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3327057/drone-maker-dji-loses-lawsuit-against-pentagon-claim-chinese-military-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3327057/drone-maker-dji-loses-lawsuit-against-pentagon-claim-chinese-military-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 18:02:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Donald Trump on Thursday took aim at a broad range of imported goods in announcing a new round of punishing tariffs, saying the US will impose 100 per cent duties on imported branded pharmaceutical drugs, 25 per cent tariffs on heavy-duty trucks and 50 per cent tariffs on kitchen cabinets. Trump has launched numerous national security investigations into potential new tariffs on a wide variety of products during his second term, casting a shadow over the global economic outlook and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326910/trump-impose-us-tariffs-heavy-trucks-furniture-and-kitchen-cabinets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326910/trump-impose-us-tariffs-heavy-trucks-furniture-and-kitchen-cabinets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:59:04 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A US lawmaker has called for an inquiry into Anker, China’s leading portable charging device maker, for alleged tariff evasion and potential abuse of trade. Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the US Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, wrote to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asking him to look into Anker for its “history of selling security equipment that allowed unencrypted video streams to be accessed”. In addition to looking into Anker’s “unfair direct subsidies, we... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3326831/chinas-anker-faces-us-scrutiny-alleged-tariff-evasion-and-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3326831/chinas-anker-faces-us-scrutiny-alleged-tariff-evasion-and-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:00:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Landon Heid, a China hawk, for a key post in the countries’ ongoing tech battle, raising questions about whether the move signals a more dovish approach to Beijing. Trump withdrew Heid’s nomination on Wednesday for assistant secretary for export administration at the US Department of Commerce, according to Congress.gov. The president had selected him in February for the post overseeing export controls for national security. Chris McGuire,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325256/trump-withdraws-nomination-china-hawk-key-post-tech-war-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325256/trump-withdraws-nomination-china-hawk-key-post-tech-war-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:45:11 +0000