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US-China trade war

US-China trade war
Breaking news and analysis on the US-China trade war, its history and timeline, and the impact on the global economy.
The US Supreme Court ruled in February that Donald Trump could not use emergency powers to impose broad tariffs, reaffirming that such authority rests with Congress. Photo: AdobeStock
Donald Trump

Trump’s tariff powers tested again as court questions ‘deficit’ justification

Court weighs Section 122 tariffs as plaintiffs warn of shifting tactics and judges probe limits of ‘balance of payments’ claims.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

High fertiliser prices mean more soybeans for farmers – and greater reliance on China

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US-China relations

Opinion | A stark clash of world views will overshadow Trump’s visit to China

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China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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People shop for beef at a supermarket in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China. Brazil’s beef exporters are rapidly filling their quota for China, leaving them now seeking new buyers. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
US-China relations

How can Beijing prepare for Trump’s ‘drunken boxing’ style before he meets Xi?

As Trump loomed large in both Iran war and subsequent pause, analysts weigh the importance of rhetoric vs results in his talks with China.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Trump-Xi summit set for limited trade-focused agenda

US goals for May’s presidential summit focus on stability and specific trade deals rather than an overall relationship reset.

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US-China relations

US-China ties are critical in dangerous new ‘might-is-right world order’: Dalio

Billionaire investor urges Chinese and US elites to ‘rise above ourselves’ and safeguard global well-being amid a changing world order.

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Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, speaks at The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival in May 2024. Photo: Reuters
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Only virtual talks, no new investment push before Xi-Trump summit: Greer

US Trade Representative underscores US seeks substantial tariffs, unhindered rare earth access, and a stability-preserving leaders’ meeting.

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China GDP

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

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China-Australia relations

Australia’s 180-degree shift from 5 years ago: China in favour; US out

Aussie comedian exposes the truth about nation’s feelings towards US president, democracy and public safety.

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An Australian tour revealed the nation’s growing sentiment of warming to China, while Trump’s tariffs and foreign policy have increasingly seen the US viewed with suspicion or as ‘unsafe’. Photo: AP
US-China relations

‘Liberation Day’ anniversary, war on Iran, Taiwan’s KMT visits Beijing

This week: One year since Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’, China proposes Iran war peace plan in partnership with Pakistan, Hong Kong retains IPO crown. Next week: Taiwan’s Kuomintang leader visits mainland, Chinese airlines raise fuel surcharges, factory-gate prices may end slump, and more.

US President Donald Trump announces worldwide tariffs on April 2, 2025. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Iran

The US-China trade war 1 year on: who really holds the upper hand?

A fragile truce prevented all-out confrontation, but Beijing and Washington remain locked in a struggle few analysts see easing any time soon.

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China-Latin America relations

Rubio raises concerns over China’s detention of Panama-flagged ships

Panama’s decision to strip Panama Ports Company of its concessions is a test of US backing for countries challenging China, experts say.

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Mainland China

As Xi-Trump summit approaches, tariffs continue to choke direct trade

Deficit with mainland hits two-decade low as trade shifts to Taiwan, Mexico and Vietnam amid tariff fallout and efforts to stabilise ties.

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Shipping containers wait to be transported along a railroad at the port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, California, one of the busiest gateways for US trade. Photo: Reuters
China GDP

‘False proposition’: state media hits ‘China shock’ as cover for Western anxiety

The state-run Economic Daily says the real problem with the global economy is not China’s strong exports, but rising protectionism.

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Large numbers of cars and containers are stacked at a port waiting for export in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China targeted in US birthright citizenship debate, but court justices sceptical

China benefiting from ‘birth tourism industry’, top litigator claims, with Trump in attendance – a historic first for a sitting president.

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China-Latin America relations

Brazil exporters bypass local banks to tap China’s US$1 trillion Sinosure fund

As Brazilian interest rates price out local lenders, Sinosure is quietly reshaping how Chinese goods reach the market.

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China-Canada relations

Canada’s finance minister visits China as both countries seek to bolster ties

Francois-Philippe Champagne’s four-day trip comes close on the heels of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing in January.

Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. Photo: EPA
China trade

US lawmakers call for major crackdown on China’s alleged sanctioned oil imports

Bipartisan panel argues sanctions have concentrated discounted oil in Beijing's hands – charges the Chinese government denies.

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China economy

Opinion | Global businesses are piling back into China, drawn by its stability

For all its structural challenges, China offers something the West no longer seems to: policy continuity and a sense of stability.

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US-China relations

‘Lack of moral character’: pair who stole secrets for China loses US citizenship

Case reflects the Trump administration’s stated goal of ‘maximally pursuing’ denaturalisation wherever legally possible.

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US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the latest denaturalisations ensure that US citizenship “remains a privilege to obtain, not a right to abuse”. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Trump-Xi summit: US trade chief casts doubt on pre-meeting Beijing visit

Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says key Trump officials unlikely to meet Chinese counterparts, in a break from usual practice for talks.

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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer addresses the media after trade talks with the Chinese delegation in Paris in March. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Why spike in fertiliser prices could boost China’s political clout

Beijing could see its regional leverage grow as the Iran war hits supply, though weaponisation of exports is unlikely, analysts say.

US-China relations

Explaining China’s trade probe announcements

SCMP Plus annotates announcements by China’s Ministry of Commerce of two trade barrier investigations in response to the United States’ Section 301 probes intended to justify reimposing higher tariffs on trading partners.

US-China relations

Born in the USA? China targeted in Trump’s birthright citizenship fight

As Supreme Court decision looms, Chinese nationals find themselves at the centre of disputed core constitutional issue: who is an American?

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Protester Hannah Liu holds a sign in support of birthright citizenship outside the US Supreme Court in May, 2025. Photo: AP
US-China relations

China deploys new trade-war weapons with US investigations

An overhaul of China’s Foreign Trade Law has given the country new tools in global trade disputes and paved the way for retaliatory measures against the US.

Photo: VCG
War and conflict

Macroscope | Iran war’s ripple effects are just getting started for Asia

From tariffs to supply chain disruption, Asian economies reliant on energy imports find themselves cornered between compounding crises.

Iran

Trump pitches China trade ‘win’ to US farmers ahead of Xi meeting, midterms

Claims come despite farmers remaining unsure if China will meet its 25 million-tonne commitment for 2026, as planting season approaches.

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