https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/520119/feed As the country with the biggest economy in the world, the US has immense influence on global trade. Find out the latest on the American economy, its trading relations and the fortunes of its firms here. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump talked tariffs, agricultural quotas and critical minerals at last month’s closely watched summit in Washington, an “elephant in the room” loomed over the discussion: China’s efforts to gradually diversify away from US dollar assets. Beijing has gradually been cutting its holdings of US Treasuries while pushing to expand the yuan’s global use and developing alternative financial architecture. While these issues may not have featured in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The race to loosen China’s grip on tungsten is moving to Kazakhstan, where United States-backed mining projects are attempting to compete in an industry where Chinese investment already has an operating foothold. Global tungsten prices have surged more than 200 per cent since May 2025, according to commodity and energy information provider Argus Media, adding urgency to efforts to develop alternative supplies. The soaring costs followed Beijing’s export controls on selected tungsten products... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369599/china-has-dominated-tungsten-decades-can-us-cash-central-asia-loosen-its-grip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369599/china-has-dominated-tungsten-decades-can-us-cash-central-asia-loosen-its-grip?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva named China as a possible partner in his critical minerals plans, three days before Sunday’s closely fought election. Lula told Flow, one of the country’s most-watched podcasts, on Thursday evening that Brazil should stop shipping out raw ore. “We want to transform them here in Brazil,” he said of the minerals. Asked whether China fit into his plans, Lula said it could be a partner “bringing technology to us”, as could the United States. “[Donald]... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369636/brazils-lula-hails-bold-chinese-investors-rival-pitches-rare-earths-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369636/brazils-lula-hails-bold-chinese-investors-rival-pitches-rare-earths-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 21:04:21 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday that there is no timeline yet for implementing the US-China Board of Trade, one of the key economic outcomes of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last week. Speaking on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Greer said the tariff reductions under the mechanism were “a policy outcome” and that the recommendations would have to go through a legal process before... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3369490/greer-says-no-specific-timeline-set-enforcing-us-china-board-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3369490/greer-says-no-specific-timeline-set-enforcing-us-china-board-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:54:03 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US soybean farmers have described the exclusion of US soybeans from China’s import list under the newly announced Board of Trade mechanism as a “missed opportunity”, even as Beijing ramped up purchases of the crop ahead of last week’s summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. The trade forum, unveiled by both sides on Sunday, covered a range of US agricultural products for export to China, including meat, dairy, corn, wheat, sorghum and vegetable oils, but... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3369119/missed-opportunity-us-soybean-farmers-question-exclusion-china-tariff-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3369119/missed-opportunity-us-soybean-farmers-question-exclusion-china-tariff-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:48:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new US$15 billion steel plant being built in Iowa, highlighting an economic victory in a key battleground state where Republicans face competitive midterm races. Trump announced the new plant at an Oval Office event alongside steel executives and Iowa Republicans, including two running for office. The event highlighted Iowa’s elevated status for Republicans and for Trump, who on Monday pledged to campaign there in coming weeks. “We’re going to do a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369110/trump-announcing-new-iowa-steel-plant-white-house-says-will-be-biggest-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369110/trump-announcing-new-iowa-steel-plant-white-house-says-will-be-biggest-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:02:58 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China agreed to import at least 10 million tonnes of US coal in each of the next two years, marking one of the few concrete results from President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. The country will also lower tariffs on 1,619 US products, including coal, under a deal to reduce levies on US$30 billion of non-sensitive goods shipped in each direction, according to a White House statement. Other items include agricultural goods, cosmetics and medical devices. The US will cut levies on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369060/china-resuming-us-coal-imports-among-thin-list-summit-outcomes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369060/china-resuming-us-coal-imports-among-thin-list-summit-outcomes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:16:13 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Scott Kennedy is a senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese business and economics at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. His areas of focus include China’s hi-tech drive, US-China relations and global economic governance. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. How would you characterise the outcomes of the China-US summit compared to expectations going in? Is it largely a continuation of that track or do you see it moving the relationship... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368961/scott-kennedy-xi-trump-summit-and-us-china-instability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368961/scott-kennedy-xi-trump-summit-and-us-china-instability?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:00:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rebrand of artificial intelligence (AI) — and looking to get the world’s other AI superpower, China, on board. All US government documents, and “hopefully the world’s”, will use the term “superintelligence”, or SI, to refer to the fast-evolving technology, Trump said at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. The same day, the US State Department ordered US diplomats to use SI instead of AI in all communications moving forward, the Associated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368921/amid-many-thorny-issues-china-trump-pushes-rename-ai-superintelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368921/amid-many-thorny-issues-china-trump-pushes-rename-ai-superintelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 22:15:40 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Brics-founded New Development Bank could help launch a fund by the end of the year to guarantee cheap loans for poor families in Africa and Latin America, Brazil’s social development minister said. The scheme would be the Shanghai-based lender’s first financial commitment to Brazil’s global anti-hunger alliance, an initiative sidelined by Washington’s presidency of the G20 this year. Wellington Dias told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen The Xi-Trump summit may prove more significant for stabilising relations and opening space for further negotiations between the world’s two largest economies than for its immediate trade outcomes, analysts said, pointing to the significance of a new dialogue on artificial intelligence. With the two leaders expected to meet again in the coming months, attention could shift from extending the latest tariff truce to building a more durable framework for managing economic and technological... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368908/trade-truce-extension-aside-was-ai-real-xi-trump-summit-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368908/trade-truce-extension-aside-was-ai-real-xi-trump-summit-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:39:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters Alabama said on Friday it had reached a settlement with TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, that required the social media platform to impose new usage limits and enhanced age-verification measures for users in the US state, resolving claims that the platform endangered children and misled consumers about its safety. The agreement, which came days before a scheduled trial, calls for TikTok to implement changes for teenagers in Alabama including a two-hour daily time limit, pauses... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368877/tiktok-settles-lawsuit-alabama-least-us100m-apply-safety-steps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368877/tiktok-settles-lawsuit-alabama-least-us100m-apply-safety-steps?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 01:38:08 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus all year round. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. After three days in Washington, President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan returned to China with a promise of more face-to-face diplomacy with US President Donald Trump later this year, but not a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368858/last-day-xis-us-visit-begins-trump-white-house-tea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368858/last-day-xis-us-visit-begins-trump-white-house-tea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:49:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters The two US senators backing a permanent legislative ban on Chinese cars in the United States agreed on Thursday to delay their plan to use a fast track procedure to win Senate approval until next week, to seek the support of a lone holdout. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno and Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin had planned to seek ‌approval for the procedure – which requires unanimous Senate backing – on Thursday, the same day that US President Donald Trump met China’s President Xi Jinping in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:30:27 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Xi’s US summit: Access real-time updates, geopolitical risk analysis, and exclusive reporting from an Asian perspective. Subscribe now with our limited-time offer to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan arrived at the White House on Thursday, on Xi’s first trip to the US in nearly a decade, following US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing in May. Trump greeted Xi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:53:20 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s outbound direct investment reached a record high of US$214 billion last year, even as investment in the United States plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade amid growing geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty, latest official data showed. Outbound direct investment was up 11.1 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year, making China the world’s second-largest source of global capital, behind only the US and ranking ahead of Japan, according to an annual report jointly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368642/chinas-overseas-investment-hits-record-us214-billion-why-are-us-bound-flows-plunging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368642/chinas-overseas-investment-hits-record-us214-billion-why-are-us-bound-flows-plunging?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:30:19 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen An extension of the US-China trade truce, agreed upon at an unscheduled meeting between the two countries’ top economic officials, underscores a willingness to contain trade tensions, according to analysts who deemed it a positive signal for this week’s presidential summit. While the rollover extends the truce by only two months, the analysts said it provided businesses with a measure of short-term certainty while raising the stakes for the next round of talks to determine whether the truce can... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368663/what-2-month-trade-truce-extension-between-china-and-us-reveals-rifts-persist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368663/what-2-month-trade-truce-extension-between-china-and-us-reveals-rifts-persist?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:30:15 +0000 Ji Siqi,Teresa Elena Frontado,Carol Yang,Alyssa Chen Ji Siqi,Teresa Elena Frontado,Carol Yang,Alyssa Chen With China and the US agreeing to extend a tariff truce that was set to expire in November – and US President Donald Trump giving his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, a personal welcome on the tarmac – analysts say the Chinese leader’s state visit has begun on a positive note. The extension will run for two months through January 10, a sign the world’s two largest economies are willing to negotiate broader agreements and build positive momentum despite an increasingly heightened rivalry spanning... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368583/deep-respect-analysts-weigh-trumps-red-carpet-welcome-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368583/deep-respect-analysts-weigh-trumps-red-carpet-welcome-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:30:20 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Chinese President Xi Jinping landed at Joint Base Andrews late Wednesday afternoon after a 15-hour flight where he was met on the tarmac by US President Donald Trump in an unusual move for a top American leader as the two sides extended a trade truce. The closely watched visit – Xi’s first summit in the United States in 11 years – comes as the two nations grapple with a host of thorny issues beneath the flowery language and statements of friendship, including artificial intelligence, critical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368568/xi-lands-us-high-stakes-summit-trump-amid-deep-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368568/xi-lands-us-high-stakes-summit-trump-amid-deep-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:46:57 +0000 SCMP SCMP This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump at Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews airbase, in the first face-to-face talks between the Chinese and American leaders since Trump visited Beijing in May. On this first... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368567/xi-begin-3-day-us-visit-rare-airport-welcome-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368567/xi-begin-3-day-us-visit-rare-airport-welcome-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:18:58 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As President Xi Jinping prepares to travel to the United States to meet his American counterpart Donald Trump, attention is turning to the group of business leaders who could join him. The South China Morning Post previously reported that executives from electric vehicle maker BYD, smart manufacturing giant Xiaomi and battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited were likely to accompany Xi on the trip – though Beijing has yet to officially confirm the delegation. What has raised... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368409/why-chinas-frontier-ai-pioneers-are-expected-miss-weeks-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368409/why-chinas-frontier-ai-pioneers-are-expected-miss-weeks-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:00:05 +0000 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/series/3368316/xi-trump-path-constructive-strategic-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/series/3368316/xi-trump-path-constructive-strategic-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:27:07 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US and China should agree on international regulatory standards for artificial intelligence (AI), akin to atomic-era guardrails, said Ro Khanna, the ranking member of the US House Select Committee on China, in New York on Monday ahead of the two countries’ high-stakes summit. The remarks come two days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump for a closely watched summit where AI is expected to be on the agenda after the two... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368311/us-china-need-nuclear-style-ai-safeguards-congressman-says-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368311/us-china-need-nuclear-style-ai-safeguards-congressman-says-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 22:48:38 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma When the presidents of the United States and China meet in Washington, the world will be watching to see whether their two countries can make good on their agreement to work towards “constructive strategic stability”. In the fourth part of this series, Sylvia Ma looks at the economic and technological levers available to both in their protracted rivalry. For years, Huawei Technologies has served as a central battleground in the contest between the world’s two largest economies. As Washington... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368262/us-china-tech-war-has-evolved-last-xi-trump-summit-who-has-edge-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368262/us-china-tech-war-has-evolved-last-xi-trump-summit-who-has-edge-now?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States, Japan and South Korea announced a new economic-security consultation and reinforced their support for stability across the Taiwan Strait on Monday, sending a coordinated message on two of Beijing’s most sensitive issues just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s summit with US President Donald Trump. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun unveiled the initiative after meeting on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368306/us-japan-and-south-korea-launch-economic-security-talks-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368306/us-japan-and-south-korea-launch-economic-security-talks-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:22:31 +0000 Nong Hong Nong Hong Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this week, after the May talks in Beijing and before the November Apec summit in Shenzhen. This sequence of diplomacy will test if the commitment to building a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability” translates into practical arrangements. The Washington meeting faces clear limits. Differences over trade, technology, industrial policy, Taiwan and regional security are deeply embedded in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368013/success-trump-xi-summit-lies-what-happens-afterwards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368013/success-trump-xi-summit-lies-what-happens-afterwards?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang With President Xi Jinping expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this week, attention is again turning to the tit-for-tat trade and technology restrictions between the two nations – a friction that continues to escalate despite occasional reprieves. Over the past year, tech firms and industrial manufacturers on both sides have been casualties of the ever-intensifying rivalry, even as some benefit from growing state support to cushion the blow. From lost sales and squeezed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3367533/rising-toll-us-china-trade-tech-curbs-focus-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3367533/rising-toll-us-china-trade-tech-curbs-focus-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:00:17 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen As final preparations are being made for President Xi Jinping’s trip to Washington this month, one export-oriented Chinese province has urged businesses to “grasp the window” of relative stability in China-US ties to boost shipments. The hope among regional officials for more trade lays bare the dependence some key Chinese localities still have on America despite diversification and decoupling. Major manufacturers in Zhejiang – which helped the coastal province grow its annual export value to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3367301/chinese-province-urges-firms-seize-day-xi-trump-meeting-provides-trade-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3367301/chinese-province-urges-firms-seize-day-xi-trump-meeting-provides-trade-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Pascal Lamy served two consecutive terms as director general of the World Trade Organization from 2005 to 2013. Before that, he spent decades in various French government roles, contributing to the building of the European Union. He was chief of staff to European Commission president Jacques Delors from 1985 to 1994, and European trade commissioner from 1999 to 2004. Here, he discusses Europe’s trade tensions with China, the continent’s growth potential problem and the WTO’s need for stronger... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367981/former-wto-head-pascal-lamy-eus-china-choice-get-rebalance-or-go-protectionist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367981/former-wto-head-pascal-lamy-eus-china-choice-get-rebalance-or-go-protectionist?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan The prospect of United States, Chinese and Russian leaders meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Shenzhen this November has revived the Yalta analogy. Talk of a Trump-Xi-Putin summit – echoing the 1945 meeting that reshaped the world – surfaced during the first Trump term, and speculation returned last year with the 80th anniversary of the second world war. No such meeting occurred. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the two presidents back-to-back in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367866/middle-powers-dont-have-wait-trump-xi-putin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367866/middle-powers-dont-have-wait-trump-xi-putin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a new sanctions bill into law that targets Russia’s leading energy buyers – China and India – just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a state visit. The White House issued a brief statement, saying that the President had “signed into law” the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” which “authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368079/trump-signs-bill-targeting-chinas-russia-energy-imports-days-xis-us-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368079/trump-signs-bill-targeting-chinas-russia-energy-imports-days-xis-us-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:50:05 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng President Xi Jinping is scheduled to sit down with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week, and their planned summit looks to be closely watched as an indicator of the current state of ties between the world’s two largest economies. Economic issues appear poised to drive the agenda again, as they did when Trump travelled to Beijing in May with more than a dozen top American CEOs, including the heads of Tesla, Apple, Nvidia and Boeing. At stake are an extension of their current truce... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368020/xi-trump-summit-preview-what-watch-investors-brace-best-and-worst-scenarios?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3368020/xi-trump-summit-preview-what-watch-investors-brace-best-and-worst-scenarios?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings,He Huifeng Ralph Jennings,He Huifeng President Xi Jinping has reiterated calls for China to make its supply chains more resilient and self-sufficient while accelerating the creation of a modern industrial system underpinned by advanced manufacturing. Xi’s latest directives, issued at a national conference on advanced manufacturing in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, were said to be aimed at strengthening the Chinese economy, the state-run Xinhua reported. Xi’s push this week echoed Beijing’s previous statements and came as the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3367877/president-xis-industrial-power-play-sees-china-bet-big-ai-chips-and-smarter-factories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3367877/president-xis-industrial-power-play-sees-china-bet-big-ai-chips-and-smarter-factories?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:29:58 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Figures from some of China’s most prominent firms – including electric vehicle maker BYD and smart manufacturing giant Xiaomi – are likely to accompany President Xi Jinping on his trip to the US next week, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. The entourage would draw a parallel to the coterie of CEOs that US President Donald Trump brought to Beijing in May, and could signal greater potential for investment deals as part of the high-profile summit. According to one of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367813/byd-xiaomi-and-innolight-executives-likely-join-xi-jinping-us-visit-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367813/byd-xiaomi-and-innolight-executives-likely-join-xi-jinping-us-visit-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth China on Thursday pushed back against a new US sanctions bill targeting Russia that could also have a major impact on Beijing, a major Russian energy importer. The US Congress on Wednesday passed the bill to strengthen sanctions on Moscow by targeting Russia’s leading energy buyers – China and India – just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump. “China carries out economic and trade cooperation with countries on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3367782/us-congress-passes-bill-targeting-russias-leading-energy-buyers-china-and-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3367782/us-congress-passes-bill-targeting-russias-leading-energy-buyers-china-and-india?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:50:16 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The criminal trial of Huawei Technologies on racketeering charges shifted this week into a slower, more laborious pace in what is expected to be a weeks-long trial as the US Government sought to establish on Wednesday that Huawei was intent on learning about a proprietary robot developed by US telecommunications carrier T-Mobile. Matthew Skurnik, assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, spent hours running FBI Special Agent James Diclemis through a series of emails that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367779/huawei-accused-stealing-robot-tech-get-hands-t-mobiles-trade-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367779/huawei-accused-stealing-robot-tech-get-hands-t-mobiles-trade-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:03:23 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang Canada’s exports to China jumped by 30.1 per cent in the first half of 2026, led by crude oil, copper and other energy and mineral products, as Ottawa stepped up efforts to diversify trade ties amid growing tensions with its largest trading partner, the United States. Exports to China reached C$21.74 billion (US$15.63 billion) over the period, marking the highest first-half value since 1997, according to a trade report released by the Canada China Business Council and the China Institute at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367592/how-canadas-trump-headache-fuelling-china-trade-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367592/how-canadas-trump-headache-fuelling-china-trade-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee A DeepSeek engineer has issued a stark warning about the potential concentration of advanced artificial intelligence and resources in proprietary US developers Anthropic and OpenAI, intensifying a growing debate in China over calls by US industry leaders to “pace” AI development amid safety concerns. The comments preceded an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump on September 24, where AI safety may emerge as a key point of dialogue as the two countries race... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3367605/deepseek-ai-engineer-slams-anthropic-openai-over-pacing-calls-invokes-nazi-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3367605/deepseek-ai-engineer-slams-anthropic-openai-over-pacing-calls-invokes-nazi-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Global surveys show China is now more popular than the United States in most countries. The reality is China hasn’t become more popular, only that Uncle Sam has become odious. Two recent major summits demonstrate precisely why this erosion has occurred. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and the Group of 20 (G20) gathering in the US, the Trump administration faced withering criticism for policies that have destabilised global commerce, violated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367044/world-not-so-much-embracing-china-recoiling-trumps-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367044/world-not-so-much-embracing-china-recoiling-trumps-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen An intensifying tech race with the United States, along with Beijing’s drive for technological self-reliance, has led China’s leaders to place greater significance and urgency on breakthroughs in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence to integrated circuits and chips in its latest five-year plan for electronics and information technology. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning agency, on Tuesday... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367622/china-bets-chips-and-ai-new-5-year-road-map-challenge-us-tech-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367622/china-bets-chips-and-ai-new-5-year-road-map-challenge-us-tech-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:02 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth A US congressional advisory body on China said on Friday that leading Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firms declined to meet its members during a recent Beijing visit over concerns that doing so could expose the firms to US sanctions. But members also underscored the importance of the coming AI dialogue between Washington and Beijing. “We were told, ‘You guys are a really scary commission, and you do hawkish anti-China things, and they’re afraid if they meet with you, they might be put on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3367269/chinese-ai-firms-shunned-us-delegation-over-sanctions-fears-commission-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3367269/chinese-ai-firms-shunned-us-delegation-over-sanctions-fears-commission-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:36:20 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma While US Treasuries remain at the centre of a global bond sell-off despite efforts by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to calm the market, investors in China are rushing to buy domestic government debt. After China’s Ministry of Finance issued a fresh batch of savings bonds worth up to 55 billion yuan (US$8.2 billion) on Thursday, domestic buyers took to social media to share tips on how to secure them and voice frustration at how quickly the allocations had run out. “Those government bonds... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367203/chinese-investors-snap-government-bonds-amid-global-market-jitters-over-us-treasuries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367203/chinese-investors-snap-government-bonds-amid-global-market-jitters-over-us-treasuries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:00:05 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow American artificial intelligence (AI) giant Anthropic has accused its Chinese AI rivals DeepSeek and Moonshot on Thursday of covertly routing customer requests to its Claude models, then showing users the responses as if they were from their own models. The new allegations mark a further escalation in US criticism of China’s AI industry practices. Earlier this week, three US government agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), claimed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3367112/moonshot-deepseek-secretly-routed-user-requests-claude-anthropic-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3367112/moonshot-deepseek-secretly-routed-user-requests-claude-anthropic-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:23:18 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Key witnesses are expected to testify in Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies’ landmark criminal case on Thursday in Brooklyn, New York, as it enters its second day of testimony. It comes after a US government lawyer told federal jurors on the opening day that Huawei engaged in criminal activities to achieve “growth at any cost”, while a lawyer for the company said that Huawei employees deemed to have broken company policies were punished for their actions. Brian Heberlig, of US law firm... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3367100/huawei-racketeering-trial-turns-alleged-trade-secret-theft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3367100/huawei-racketeering-trial-turns-alleged-trade-secret-theft?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:32:24 +0000 Daisy Wu Daisy Wu The widening yield spread between Chinese and American government bonds is unlikely to trigger catastrophic capital flight from China, according to investment executives at Marsh Investment, who attribute the record spread to the United States’ fiscal pressures and global macro trends rather than a structural retreat for Chinese assets. The spread between benchmark 10-year US Treasury bonds and equivalent Chinese sovereign bonds hit a record 3.17 percentage points this week. Yields on US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3367096/record-china-us-gap-bond-yields-unlikely-trigger-capital-flight-marsh-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3367096/record-china-us-gap-bond-yields-unlikely-trigger-capital-flight-marsh-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:55:32 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The Trump administration on Wednesday said that China is on track to meet its agricultural purchase commitments, with the sector expected to feature prominently in the deliverables for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s talks in Washington later this month. “China is ramping up their purchases,” said Luke Lindberg, the US Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). “We’re seeing that progress happen.” Speaking... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3366979/us-says-china-track-fulfil-farm-purchases-ahead-xis-washington-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3366979/us-says-china-track-fulfil-farm-purchases-ahead-xis-washington-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 23:09:49 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The Trump administration sanctioned Chinese-language marketplace Xinbi Guarantee on Wednesday, along with two affiliated organisations, as part of a wider crackdown on transnational cybercrime. The US Department of Justice also announced it had seized Telegram channels and cryptocurrency wallets tied to the platform, which has over 650,000 users, freezing more than US$52 million in potentially laundered funds in just one day. “This is not a distant overseas crime story,” said Jeanine Pirro, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3366977/us-sanctions-chinese-language-xinbi-guarantee-marketplace-over-cyber-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3366977/us-sanctions-chinese-language-xinbi-guarantee-marketplace-over-cyber-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:48:23 +0000 Han Li Han Li Greg Reverdiau, an Arizona-based drone trainer, said he saw something highly unusual for politically polarised America when he waded through public comments on a US government proposal to restrict foreign-made drones: a consensus. Reverdiau, the founder of Pilot Institute, which helps aviators obtain licences, said he reviewed over 3,800 comments submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and estimates that about 98 per cent opposed the proposal or raised concerns about it. “Those... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366976/us-drone-ban-proposal-combat-chinas-dominance-concerns-american-police-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366976/us-drone-ban-proposal-combat-chinas-dominance-concerns-american-police-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:48:20 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies went on trial on Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York, on criminal charges after eight years of legal wrangling with the US government. The Shenzhen-based company has pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts, including bank fraud, wire fraud, trade secret theft, and racketeering, with the alleged criminal activity dating back to 1999. Jury selection began on Tuesday, local time, with US District Judge Ann M. Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York instructing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366831/huawei-goes-trial-us-racketeering-after-nearly-decade-litigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366831/huawei-goes-trial-us-racketeering-after-nearly-decade-litigation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:57:10 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Copper prices have surged to an all-time high on the London Metal Exchange (LME) amid anticipations of potential US tariffs and a tightening supply crunch, with analysts expecting prices to remain elevated in the short term. Benchmark three-month copper futures closed at US$14,510 a tonne on Monday, after rising to a record high of US$14,533 a tonne earlier in the session, surpassing the previous record set in January. The rally came with the market widely expecting the United States to expand... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3366787/copper-rally-sets-record-price-lme-us-tariff-fears-fuel-scramble-stockpiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3366787/copper-rally-sets-record-price-lme-us-tariff-fears-fuel-scramble-stockpiles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:13 +0000