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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.
Car destined for export at the Longtan Container Terminal in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
US-China decoupling

China’s slowing growth, bilateral tensions top US business concerns

Survey by American Chamber of Commerce in China finds that expectations for Sino-US ties have ‘improved significantly’.

United States

A Chinese tech hub eyes 3- to 7-nanometre chip breakthroughs to beat US curbs

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Rare earths

US lawmakers propose US$2.5 billion agency to boost production of rare earths

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European Union

Opinion | An internally split Europe can never fully engage China and Asia

The Brussels effect is real but so is Europe’s strategic subordination to the US. For China, and Asia, this means proceeding with pragmatism.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Rare earths

Trump tackles China’s rare earth grip with talks instead of tariffs

The US president’s new global deal-making drive kick-starts what is likely to be a years-long effort to pare reliance on Chinese critical minerals.

Mainland China

Trump sets 180-day deadline to counter China’s control of critical minerals

US government warns global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade hurdles.

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US-China relations

Biden administration decision to scrap China Initiative flawed: White House

US top science adviser Michael Kratsios says ceasing programme aimed at combating economic espionage from Beijing ‘damaging’.

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Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the Biden administration’s decision to terminate the China Initiative programme was “damaging”. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Brazil-China trade hits record US$171 billion in 2025 as US tariffs prompt pivot

The US is a distant second in trade volume with Brazil as Beijing helps soften the impact of Washington’s levies.

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US-China tech war

Why China may buy Nvidia’s AI chips as US eases curbs – and replace them later

As the US reverses Biden-era restrictions, Beijing likely to take advantage – without compromising own industry, analysts say.

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China trade

China trade surplus hits US$1.2 trillion even with Trump tariffs

Chinese exporters brushed off the US trade war in 2025, partly by finding new markets, while lower oil prices and investments in renewable power kept imports flat amid economic growth.

Photo: EPA
Banking & finance

Growth in sovereign investors’ China exposure slows amid political tensions

Inflows fall 58 per cent as sovereign wealth funds grow cautious, yet outlook signals selective opportunities ahead, experts say.

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Sovereign investment activity has become increasingly politicised, forcing some Western state-owned investors to avoid major deals in China, according to a data platform. Photo: EPA
China trade

China’s US$1.2 trillion trade surplus

China posted its first trade surplus above US$1 trillion in 2025 as exporters reshaped operations to weather the US trade war and imports stagnated amid lower oil prices.

China trade

As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

Shipments to Asean and Africa surged to drive a record US$1.19 trillion surplus for China, offsetting headwinds as leaders push to boost local demand.

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Mainland China

US government approves Nvidia H200 chip exports to China

Trump administration on Tuesday gave the green light to China-bound sales of Nvidia’s second most powerful AI chips.

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The Trump administration has approved the sale ​of Nvidia’s H200 chip to China. Photo: Shutterstock
United States

Not ‘Trump-compatible’? China expert Rudd exits Australia’s US ambassador role

Kevin ‌Rudd left his post a year ‍earlier than planned following criticism from US President Donald Trump at White House meeting in October.

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Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, is stepping down a year earlier than expected and is returning to lead the Asia Society think tank. Photo: TNS
China tariffs

Trade reset? China, Canada look to revive ties after US tariffs force rethink

Crude, copper and iron top Canada’s exports to China, as prime minister seeks to mend relationship with Beijing.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise

Far from setting China back, Trump’s foreign policy is bolstering the case for viewing Beijing as the driver of a more equitable world.

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China manufacturing

Fears over China’s trade surplus misplaced as West also driving trend: analysts

China’s global manufacturing dominance is a tale of two halves; reliant on home-grown industrial growth and Western consumption, experts say.

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An aerial drone photo shows a cargo ship docking at Lianyungang Port, east China’s Jiangsu Province. China’s foreign trade in goods has sustained strong resilience with steady growth in the first 11 months of 2025 despite external headwinds, according to official data. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Will Trump’s Iran tariffs send China searching for new oil sources?

Analysts urge China to protect strategic interests abroad after unexpected announcement, which is likely to push up oil import costs.

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Donald Trump

Video | Trump slaps 25% extra tariffs on Iran’s trading partners

Trump announces tariffs ‘effective immediately’ on economies doing business with Tehran, including India and China, Iran’s largest trading partner.

US-China relations

China’s US embassy decries ‘coercion’ after Trump’s Iran tariff move

China’s embassy opposes Washington’s ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ after Trump announces a 25 per cent tariff on countries doing business with Iran.

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An Iranian police officer watches over a pro-government rally in Tehran on January 12. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
China's economic recovery

China prioritises export controls, supply chains to shield economy in 2026

Commerce ministry also pledges to boost domestic demand, services and two-way investment over coming year.

Beijing has deployed export controls amid the US-China trade war as well as trade and diplomatic disputes with other countries. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US government abandons plan to blacklist Chinese-made drones

Commerce Department, FCC make U-turn after barring imports of new Chinese drone models in December to address national security concerns.

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US-China relations

Trump-Xi diplomacy put to test thanks to contentious tit-for-tat Covid lawsuits

Unpaid billions of dollars in judgments against China sucks US State Department into escalating legal dispute, but Beijing remains defiant.

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China shipbuilding

China’s shipyards still lead the world, but US threats took a toll in 2025

Chinese shipbuilders saw their market share dip for the first time in five years in 2025, as uncertainty over US port fees roiled the industry.

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A ship is under construction at a shipyard in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. China remains the world’s top shipbuilder, but its market share dipped last year amid uncertainty over US port fees. Photo: AFP
China trade

With US focused on Venezuela, China has window to pressure Japan: analysts

Beijing’s trade actions raise stakes with Tokyo, as China’s rare earth power and Japan’s chip dominance are seen as potentially key levers in their bilateral dispute.

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A worker helps make semiconductor chips for export at a factory in China’s Shandong province. Japan has a commanding market share in semiconductor equipment and materials. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

US will end China’s dominance of rare earths, Trump adviser Navarro predicts

The president’s trade aide says American innovation will ‘quickly wipe away’ Beijing’s ‘weaponisation’ of critical minerals.

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China's economic recovery

China says US trade war, tech curbs have spurred ‘independent innovation’

In the first year of new five-year plan, party mouthpiece says list of ‘chokepoint technologies’ is narrowing.

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