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Trade
News about international trade flows, statistics and policy decisions from the world’s most important trading economies and trade-related bodies, including the World Trade Organisation.
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China-Russia relations

Putin left China, with no pipeline deal. Why is the valve still closed?

Though this week’s China-Russia summit featured many agreements, none progressed the long-delayed Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline.

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China-India relations

Rubio expected to brief New Delhi on Xi-Trump summit during India trip

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India

India’s US$9 billion island megaport sharpens China’s ‘Malacca dilemma’

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Asean

Over 4,300 Southeast Asian species face extinction threat

Tigers, giant catfish, gibbons and pangolins are among the thousands of ‘critically endangered’ or ‘endangered’ species in the region.

A critically endangered Sumatran rhino calf with its mother at the Way Kambas National Park Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia. Photo: AFP/Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Banking & finance

AIIB launches US$10 billion facility to help nations hit by Iran war fallout

The new facility will help nations deal with urgent energy, food and economic resilience needs, according to the bank.

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Belt and Road Initiative

China’s new US$10.7 billion canal near completion to boost Asean trade links

The Pinglu Canal – a US$10 billion waterway connecting China’s heartlands to the Gulf of Tonkin – will begin trial operations as soon as September.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

Open Questions | China-US stability may not last, ex-Asia adviser to Obama says

Evan Medeiros warns of growing US opposition to Donald Trump’s detente with Beijing and the risk that the Taiwan issue could cause a crisis in relations.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China relations

US foreign affairs chairman warns of China role in Argentina contract bid

Brian Mast’s letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio concerns an auction for a contract to dredge and operate Argentina’s Parana River.

US-China trade war

Trump scraps signing AI executive order to keep ‘lead’ over China in industry

White House postpones decision on more regulation over fast-growing AI market as it may affect US competitiveness with rivals globally.

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China-Russia relations

China and Russia unite on world order, but Putin departs without concrete gains

Analysts say Beijing’s position in managing three-way ties appears to be strengthened after hosting Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

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Most of the deals signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday are symbolic, according to analysts. Pool photo: Reuters via AP
China energy security

As Chinese supertankers cross Strait of Hormuz, is the crisis starting to ease?

Two Chinese tankers were among group of vessels transiting vital waterway on Wednesday, but was it a one-off or the start of a new trend?

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Ships and swimmers are seen in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The strategic waterway has been largely closed to traffic since the Iran war began. Photo: WANA via Reuters
United States

US jobless claims fall as lay-offs remain low despite economic uncertainty

Despite historically low lay-offs, the labour market appears to be stuck in what economists call a ‘low-hire, low-fire’ state.

China trade

Asia-Pacific trade risks loom large as Apec official warns of protectionism

China is urged to evolve as a world buyer, ahead of ministers’ gathering in Suzhou where a raft of far-reaching trade issues will be discussed.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | What Putin, Trump summits say about China’s role in world affairs

Beijing’s desire for systemic stability guides its relations with Moscow and Washington, making it central to global mediation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Britain

Queen pushed for ex-prince Andrew’s appointment as trade envoy

Emails released earlier this year suggest ‌that Mountbatten-Windsor, while serving ‌as trade envoy, forwarded reports to Jeffrey Epstein.

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Queen Elizabeth (left) and former prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey in London in 2022. Photo: AFP
China-Russia relations

China-Russia joint statement on Xi-Putin summit

The two countries issued a statement following this week’s meeting in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

China trade

Ex-mayor calls for stronger yuan, tariff cuts to reduce China’s trade surplus

Huang Qifan says coordinated policies, including gradual yuan appreciation and lowering of tariffs, are needed to address trade imbalances.

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US-China trade war

China says US agreed to a maximum tariff rate. Could the trade war be waning?

Beijing says Washington agreed to keep future trade levies at numbers set in trade talks last year.

US President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Prabowo tightens state grip on palm oil, coal amid monopolistic fears

A state agency will handle exports of palm oil, coal and ferroalloys to stem revenue loss and under-invoicing, the president says.

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European Union

EU picks tungsten, rare earths, gallium for first critical mineral stockpile

The move marks one of the bloc’s most concrete steps to reduce reliance on China for elements vital to defence and tech.

China-EU relations

Chinese investment in Europe surges to 7-year high despite rising trade tensions

But study warns that new project pipeline appears to be drying up, as Chinese investors face pressure from both Beijing and Brussels.

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Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd is building a huge new facility in Debrecen, Hungary. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Did US restrictions sink Malaysia’s US$147 million Norway missile deal?

Analysts say US-controlled parts may have been a factor in Norway’s revoked export licences, underscoring risks for Asian defence buyers.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at a peace summit on Gaza in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in October last year. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Editorial | Energy will be high on Xi-Putin summit agenda

Amid Iran war disruptions, Russia wants to lock in deals at higher prices while China wants alternative energy sources.

US-China trade war

House foreign affairs chair warns AI sales to China could make America a ‘loser’

Brian Mast stressed that American firms must not let the best US technology reach the ‘wrong places’ when it comes to AI industry.

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China energy security

Putin is pushing for a ‘serious’ new energy deal in China. Will he get it?

The Russian leader arrives in China days after Trump in search of an energy deal, with yuan settlements, pricing potentially on the table.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
War and conflict

Opinion | Malacca Strait could be the next hinge point if Asia isn’t careful

Straits like Hormuz and Malacca are pressure points where commerce and power converge. What once defined success now defines vulnerability.

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A motorcyclist passes by liquefied natural gas tankers in the Malacca Strait off the coast of Malaysia on April 15. Photo: EPA
China-EU relations

China’s firms in Europe chose to save on legal services. Will it cost them?

Chinese companies, often reluctant to pay for legal services, are encountering greater compliance issues as they expand into a stricter EU.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Xi-Trump summit affirms China’s role as world’s indispensable broker

In hosting his US and Russian counterparts within a week, President Xi Jinping shows that China’s vision rests on pre-eminence over hegemony.

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