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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.
China’s economy in 2026
China GDP

China’s economy in 2026

First-quarter GDP grew 5 per cent as strong manufacturing and exports masked weak domestic spending and a March slowdown.

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Iran war could give Xi the upper hand in meeting with Trump: US experts

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US-China relations

Exiting China market a ‘self-inflicted wound’ for US tech, think tank warns

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China trade

China’s critical minerals grip faces test as new Asian financing tool launches

Japan, Britain and other nations have pledged millions to the new scheme, as China’s dominance of critical minerals sector faces fresh challenge.

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A skip loader shifts earth at a rare earth metals mine in China’s Jiangxi province. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Opinion | China’s Manus block a show of strength ahead of Xi-Trump summit

Beijing’s manoeuvring highlights its resolve and suggests it feels it has the upper hand in negotiations ahead of Trump’s visit.

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United States

US sanctions China-based operator, others over alleged Iran oil trade links

State Department targets Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal for allegedly importing ‘tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil’.

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China-Latin America relations

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

People walk past a mural with the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, on April 15. Photo: EPA
United States

From apps to autos: China’s data reach sparks US espionage and sabotage concerns

Washington accused of not doing enough to counter Beijing’s harvesting of key American data and weaponising it as a strategic asset.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

US and Chinese officials air concerns in build-up to Trump’s Beijing visit

Despite the latest diplomatic initiatives, Beijing warns the US is threatening ‘hard-won stability’ with new smartphone restrictions.

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Chinese offshore investment

Xi-Trump summit unlikely to revive Chinese investment in US, report warns

Rhodium Group report says Chinese investment in America has ‘fallen significantly’ from 2016 peak.

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US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping following a meeting at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, in October. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
US-China relations

UN bloated, costly, but China fears to keep US involved, House committee told

Pulling out of international organisation would see Beijing expand its influence and leave Washington at major disadvantage, lawmakers say.

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Flags of countries at the United Nations’ Headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump’s China policy

Chips, oil and Iran: why US is raising pressure on China before Xi-Trump talks

Washington’s latest moves target semiconductor access and small Chinese oil refineries, though analysts expect Beijing to remain resilient.

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US-China relations

Are US agents around Trump armed with Chinese red dot sights?

Apparent Holosun optic on security agent’s pistol in photo from correspondents’ dinner prompts US commenters to question Chinese link.

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China trade

Beijing touts mineral dominance, boosts autonomy drive, ahead of Trump’s visit

Ministry of Natural Resources boasts world-leading reserves of 14 minerals and vows to keep boosting output and exploration as geopolitical risks weigh on resources.

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Blocks with symbols and atomic numbers of various rare earth elements are seen on a Chinese flag. Illustration: Reuters
China GDP

US economic gap over China to widen, but Iran might bring them closer: Mahbubani

Get your head checked, strategist Mahbubani tells those who underestimate the US and China, while forecasting a bigger GDP gulf between the two by 2030.

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China, long projected to overtake the US as the world’s largest economy, could instead lose ground in the coming years, according to a global strategist. Photo: Reuters
United States

Trump urged by Democrats to keep US ban on Chinese cars as Xi meeting looms

US lawmakers warn of ‘irreversible’ consequences for industry ahead of Trump’s planned summit with Chinese President ⁠Xi Jinping next month.

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China manufacturing

Opinion | How China’s manufacturing is winning the Iran war

China’s production advantage is built on years of preparation, investment in renewables and cost discipline that are difficult to displace.

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SCMP Exclusives

Exclusive | Un-sanctioned: China to welcome Dutch trade minister amid Nexperia, ASML discord

Source says Beijing has quietly dropped an old sanctioning of Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who recently spoke of wanting to lead a Dutch trade mission to China.

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Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, the Dutch trade minister, is interviewed in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 10. Photo: EPA
China’s private sector

Turning cast-offs into cash: China’s Zhuanzhuan looks to Europe, US for growth

From phones to luxury bags, the recycling platform wants to take its ‘trash to treasure’ model global as second-hand demand accelerates.

China’s private sector

Muddy yet clear-cut: how Chinese investors are turning jungle into a new capital

Chinese construction firms keen to cement trade ties with Jakarta through multimillion dollar projects to build a brand new centre of power.

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China manufacturing

Billionaire behind ‘American Factory’ firm warns of US exit amid trade friction

Fuyao Glass, a major supplier to Ford, GM and BMW in the US, employs thousands across the states of Ohio, Illinois and South Carolina.

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A worker checks the appearance of glass at a factory of glass manufacturer Fuyao in Dayton, Ohio. Photo: Xinhua
China technology

As DJI duels Insta360, China sharpens global hardware edge amid US scrutiny

Western competitors like GoPro face shrinking footprints as strategic shifts of Chinese firms disrupt the status quo while navigating FCC-led national security bans.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US-China relations

Trump ally visits China, DeepSeek releases V4, EV earnings

This week: Trump ally Daines is set to visit China, DeepSeek unveils new AI model, Xi calls for Strait of Hormuz reopening, Auto China opens. Next week: BYD, Geely and Chinese banks post earnings, Politburo probably meets, May Day holiday begins, and more.

US-China relations

Exclusive | Trump ally to visit China as US turns up pressure before May summit

Republican senator to lead bipartisan delegation to China next week; visit will begin on May 1, with stops planned in Shanghai and Beijing.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Is the US in decline? Why Iran war might be the surest sign

In going from international rule-maker to ‘predatory hegemon’, the US is risking it all, Chinese state media and observers warn.

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Chinese analysts say Washington’s reckless behaviour under President Donald Trump has alienated allies, weakened its credibility and eroded its global influence. Photo: Reuters
China trade

Canton Fair defies global trends as overseas buyers flock to buy robots, drones

Foreign buyers queue up to test the latest technological hardware at China’s largest trade show despite softening international demand.

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The 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, brought together 46 enterprises to showcase technological innovations and application capabilities in China’s service robot sector. Photo: Xinhua
Florida

US lawmakers slam China’s ‘parasitic’ theft of military and tech secrets

US senators pointed to legal channels, including work visas and university research, as potential pathways for China-linked espionage.

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US-China tech war

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’, Lutnick tells US lawmakers

Commerce chief says Beijing is prioritising its own semiconductor industry when asked whether selling US chips would aid Chinese military.

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