https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/521460/feed Scott Bessent is a prominent figure in American finance and currently serves as the US Treasury Secretary, a role he assumed in January 2025. His responsibilities include maintaining a robust economy, fostering growth, managing government finances and addressing global economic threats. Previously, Bessent was Chief Investment Officer at Soros Fund Management, where he achieved significant returns, notably during the 1992 British Pound crisis. He also founded Key Square Group, a global macro... en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Nayan Seth Nayan Seth Former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon said he was 90 per cent certain that China already had spies inside both US artificial intelligence (AI) companies, without providing evidence. Coxon made the allegation in an interview with entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David on the PBD Podcast, arguing that China could steal advances from leading US AI labs and quickly close any technological gap. “Right now, if we just stopped, they would try and catch up. But I think one really important thing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370108/china-already-has-spies-us-ai-labs-claims-ex-anthropic-researcher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370108/china-already-has-spies-us-ai-labs-claims-ex-anthropic-researcher?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 23:39:15 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The US Treasury on Wednesday announced its first penalty under rules governing American investment in sensitive Chinese technologies, revealing a US$200,000 fine against the parent of Plug and Play Tech Centre for failing to report an investment in a Shanghai robotics AI company. The Treasury said on Wednesday that Amidi, LLC failed to submit a required notification after its Chinese fund subsidiary invested around US$92,478 in Shanghai Qiongche Intelligent Technology Company Limited, known as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370101/us-issues-first-outbound-investment-fine-over-chinese-robotics-ai-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370101/us-issues-first-outbound-investment-fine-over-chinese-robotics-ai-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 19:27:59 +0000 Zhou Xiaoming Zhou Xiaoming The recent US-China summit yielded a narrow, caution-filled outcome for bilateral trade: a two-month extension of the Kuala Lumpur trade truce, which now expires on January 10 next year. This reprieve eases fears of immediate tariff escalation and shows that head-of-state diplomacy can still curb spiralling confrontation. Yet the short timeline exposes the wide gulf separating the two sides’ priorities. China’s position has been unambiguous: removal of all punitive tariffs and restrictive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369750/short-trade-truce-cant-paper-over-realities-us-china-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369750/short-trade-truce-cant-paper-over-realities-us-china-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee An Nvidia-backed US start-up has unveiled an open-weight model to challenge China’s dominance in freely available artificial intelligence, releasing a system that early third-party testing suggests could be one of the most token-efficient open models in its class. Reflection AI on Monday debuted Beam, its first open-weight model built for coding, reasoning and agentic tasks. The US firm said Beam was “competitive” with GLM-5.2 from Z.ai – also known as Zhipu AI – and was “approaching” Alibaba... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3369885/nvidia-backed-reflection-ai-challenges-chinese-dominance-open-weight-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3369885/nvidia-backed-reflection-ai-challenges-chinese-dominance-open-weight-models?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:00:07 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to provide guests attending this month’s Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting with a “high-quality” experience, as the city works closely with Beijing to assist delegations with the registration process. About 500 guests, including finance ministers and senior officials from the 21 member economies, are expected to attend the annual meeting on October 20 and 21, which will be hosted by Hong Kong for the first time at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3369881/john-lee-promises-high-quality-experience-apec-finance-meeting-guests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3369881/john-lee-promises-high-quality-experience-apec-finance-meeting-guests?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:59:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse EU nations will meet Friday, aiming to develop a unified response to soaring diesel prices, a day after the US called on its European allies to release strategic reserves “immediately” to stem the crisis. The emergency meeting between EU member states and the European Commission is scheduled for early in the day, a Commission spokesperson said late Thursday. Washington is piling on pressure to get European help with fuel costs, with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday floating the possibility... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369488/us-tells-european-allies-act-immediately-lower-diesel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369488/us-tells-european-allies-act-immediately-lower-diesel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:12:46 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday proposed a new global framework to tackle excess steel production capacity on the sidelines of the ongoing Group of 20 Trade Ministers’ meeting, just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. “The United States has taken robust measures, and it probably makes sense for other countries to do that too,” Greer said after a meeting of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Well,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369393/us-targets-chinas-steel-capacity-g20-days-after-xis-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369393/us-targets-chinas-steel-capacity-g20-days-after-xis-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:30:34 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The two-month extension of the US-China trade truce remains fragile despite last week’s summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, with modest economic concessions leaving deeper disputes unresolved, Asia Society Policy Institute analysts said on Tuesday. “In my view, this truce is very fragile,” said Wendy Cutler, an Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president and former acting deputy US trade representative. “I think they’re testing each other.” Xi’s three-day state visit to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369263/us-china-trade-truce-remains-fragile-after-xi-trump-summit-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369263/us-china-trade-truce-remains-fragile-after-xi-trump-summit-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:30:21 +0000 Nayan Seth,Dewey Sim Nayan Seth,Dewey Sim As American billionaires gathered at the White House to honour Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan last Thursday, a group of Chinese business leaders spent the evening on the sidelines. They had travelled to the US capital to join the state dinner. But their invitations never arrived. For weeks, their participation was the subject of intense discussion between Washington and Beijing. While it was under consideration until the summit’s final hours, they were ultimately excluded... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369238/xi-trump-summit-drew-chinese-ceos-so-why-couldnt-they-get-seat-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369238/xi-trump-summit-drew-chinese-ceos-so-why-couldnt-they-get-seat-table?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:00:05 +0000 Shaoshan Liu Shaoshan Liu The US-China AI competition faces a dilemma. Both countries see artificial intelligence as a source of economic, scientific and strategic power, so neither has much incentive to slow down. Yet the more capable and autonomous AI becomes, the more important the question of human control. Last week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping brought that tension into the open. Trump wants to leave AI “exactly where it is” rather than add new guardrails, while Xi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368932/us-china-ai-race-real-fight-keeping-humans-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368932/us-china-ai-race-real-fight-keeping-humans-control?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:30:12 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang Jamie Dimon’s recent whirlwind visit to Hong Kong followed a similar script: a schedule packed with meetings involving the entrepreneurs and business leaders connecting China with global markets. But it was his increasingly visible stance on global issues that appeared to extend his career beyond market strategy and financial industry leadership as CEO of JPMorgan Chase. His preoccupation with economic growth and world affairs drew particular attention in Hong Kong last week, shortly before... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3369097/jpmorgans-jamie-dimon-how-growth-can-untangle-us-china-strife-thorny-global-issues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3369097/jpmorgans-jamie-dimon-how-growth-can-untangle-us-china-strife-thorny-global-issues?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:00:17 +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. Open Questions first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. 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... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368936/scott-kennedy-chinas-slow-tech-dragon-and-2-more-xi-trump-meetings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368936/scott-kennedy-chinas-slow-tech-dragon-and-2-more-xi-trump-meetings?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 22:00:14 +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 US President Donald Trump raised concerns about yen weakness at a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Friday, offering an unusually detailed account of the leaders’ talks on currencies. “At the recent Japan-US summit meeting, President Trump expressed concern about the yen’s weakness,” Katayama said at a regular news conference, adding that she was disclosing the exchange for the first time after consulting with the ‌Prime... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3368863/japan-says-trump-voiced-concern-over-weak-yen-summit-pm-takaichi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3368863/japan-says-trump-voiced-concern-over-weak-yen-summit-pm-takaichi?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:52:59 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen The US president’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump had a front-row seat at a White House welcome ceremony for President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan on Thursday, wearing a dress by Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei. Trump, in a robin’s egg blue dress and matching jacket, and her 15-year-old daughter Arabella Kushner occupied a prominent position at the ceremony, alongside Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance. The arrangement drew attention since members of Donald Trump’s cabinet... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3368740/ivanka-trump-takes-front-row-seat-welcome-xi-dress-chinese-designer-guo-pei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3368740/ivanka-trump-takes-front-row-seat-welcome-xi-dress-chinese-designer-guo-pei?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 02:44:14 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Friday that he would meet his American counterpart Donald Trump again at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen in November and at the G20 summit in Miami in December. This set a record, as no Chinese president before had travelled to the US twice in a year. Trump also said he invited to the G20 Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to show up in Shenzhen as well. The announcement capped the final day of Xi’s whirlwind state... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368709/beyond-rose-garden-and-military-review-trump-and-xi-get-down-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368709/beyond-rose-garden-and-military-review-trump-and-xi-get-down-business?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:32:56 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Nayan Seth Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Nayan Seth A small group of Chinese CEOs holding US visas has arrived in Washington after travelling separately from President Xi Jinping’s official entourage, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. But with the clock ticking and the business optics of the Chinese leader’s White House visit hanging on the final twists of diplomatic negotiations, the executives are still waiting to find out whether they will secure a seat at Thursday’s state dinner for Xi. “Beijing’s security protocol is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368683/chinese-ceos-fly-us-own-await-invites-trumps-state-dinner-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368683/chinese-ceos-fly-us-own-await-invites-trumps-state-dinner-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:41:59 +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 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China and the US held their first dialogue on artificial intelligence, with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent leading the talks for their respective sides, China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. He Yadong, a spokesman for the commerce ministry, confirmed the completion of the AI dialogue while briefing reporters on the eighth round of US-China trade talks held in New York on Sunday. The dialogue comes as AI technology emerges as a high-stakes... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3368653/china-us-hold-first-ai-dialogue-amid-mounting-tech-tensions-commerce-ministry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3368653/china-us-hold-first-ai-dialogue-amid-mounting-tech-tensions-commerce-ministry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:20:27 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China and the United States agreed to extend a trade-war truce by two months to January 10, as President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a summit with US President Donald Trump. The short extension will let the US assess whether China is meeting trade commitments, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday following “unscheduled” extra talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng. China had sought to stretch the “Busan Agreement” pause until January 2029, when Trump’s term in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368652/us-china-agree-two-month-trade-truce-extension-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368652/us-china-agree-two-month-trade-truce-extension-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:17:46 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China and the United States must prevent their AI competition from escalating into a cold war, a top Chinese policy adviser has warned, while asserting that a complete decoupling would be difficult. The remarks from Zheng Yongnian, a leading political scientist and dean of the school of public policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, come ahead of the Xi-Trump summit in Washington, where artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to be among the top items on the agenda. Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368543/american-ai-development-cannot-separate-itself-china-zheng-yongnian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368543/american-ai-development-cannot-separate-itself-china-zheng-yongnian?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:57:33 +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 Holly Chik,Lucy Quaggin Holly Chik,Lucy Quaggin Chinese President Xi Jinping was greeted on the tarmac by his American counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday – a rare gesture ahead of their summit. It is Xi’s first state visit to the United States in over a decade and the two leaders met each other at Joint Base Andrews just after 6pm, alongside their wives Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan. Here are the key takeaways. 1. Trade truce extended As Xi and Peng touched down in America, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the two... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368576/warm-welcome-trade-truce-extended-takeaways-xi-arrives-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368576/warm-welcome-trade-truce-extended-takeaways-xi-arrives-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:37:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The heads of major artificial intelligence firms pleaded with the United Nations on Wednesday to save the world or at least its people – by somehow regulating the fast-expanding technology that they have been designing. “If managed poorly, I even believe AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole,” said Dario Amodei, chief executive officer of Anthropic. And from his competitor Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, came this assessment: “We could lose control of the future to AI”. Both said the countries of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368575/tech-leaders-un-sake-humanity-please-control-ai-technology-we-created?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368575/tech-leaders-un-sake-humanity-please-control-ai-technology-we-created?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 23:44:34 +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 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin A grand military welcome, a state dinner, tea at the White House and a tour of the National Archives: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington will see his American counterpart, Donald Trump, roll out the pomp and pageantry. The United States’ capital is bracing for high-level bilateral discussions served with a side of symbolic gestures, marking Xi’s first state visit to the country since 2015. But what exactly makes this a state visit, and how does it differ from other official... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368563/all-you-need-know-about-state-visit-white-house-rolls-out-red-carpet-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368563/all-you-need-know-about-state-visit-white-house-rolls-out-red-carpet-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:37:51 +0000 Nayan Seth,Teresa Elena Frontado Nayan Seth,Teresa Elena Frontado US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday that Washington and Beijing have agreed to extend the trade agreement reached in South Korea for just two months, as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a state visit. “We have agreed ⁠today that we will extend what ⁠we call the Busan Agreement,” Bessent said in an interview with Fox News, adding ‌the agreement ‌will be extended for two months until January 10. Bessent made the remarks hours after an unscheduled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368555/bessent-and-he-meet-again-tackle-some-unfinished-business-xi-summit-nears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368555/bessent-and-he-meet-again-tackle-some-unfinished-business-xi-summit-nears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:52:53 +0000 Chong Ming Lee,Vincent Chow Chong Ming Lee,Vincent Chow 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 sixth part of a series, Chong Ming Lee and Vincent Chow examine what’s behind the call for “pacing” by American AI giants – effectively a slowdown in development – and how the phenomenon is being viewed in China. After years of rapid development, leading US AI executives are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3368503/pacing-problem-can-ai-fears-overcome-us-china-race-dynamics-and-force-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3368503/pacing-problem-can-ai-fears-overcome-us-china-race-dynamics-and-force-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:00:06 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao US President Donald Trump has sold shares worth tens of millions of US dollars in major tech companies, including Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms in July, a move that may reveal some of his views on the sector, especially as competition with China intensifies. Microsoft topped the list of sales transactions, with six trades totalling up to US$31 million, according to filings disclosed by the US Office of Government Ethics on Tuesday. The data detailed Trump’s trading activity in July,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3368525/trump-offloads-tens-millions-ai-tech-shares-led-microsoft-amazon-meta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3368525/trump-offloads-tens-millions-ai-tech-shares-led-microsoft-amazon-meta?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Andy Xie Andy Xie The US Treasury market is in trouble, oil prices have been surging and the yen might slide again. Whatever Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent might have said, the United States government isn’t big enough to be “the house” that always wins when it comes to fixing global markets. Last week, the 10-year US Treasury yield briefly reached 5.04 per cent, the highest level since 2007, right before the global financial crisis. Bessent had tripled a Treasury buy-back operation on September 10 to US$6... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3368448/bad-money-decisions-are-coming-home-roost-us-and-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3368448/bad-money-decisions-are-coming-home-roost-us-and-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial After eight hours of talks in New York, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng managed to lay the groundwork for the two countries’ leaders to meet this week. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump must be seen to make progress at their pivotal summit, even if few expect breakthroughs. Xi will arrive at the White House for the first time since 2015, as a trade war truce is set to expire on November 10, effectively a deadline that exerts intense... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3368358/trump-xi-summit-key-step-towards-managing-conflict-more-wisely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3368358/trump-xi-summit-key-step-towards-managing-conflict-more-wisely?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Dewey Sim,Igor Patrick Dewey Sim,Igor Patrick US President Donald Trump praised his strong relationship with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in New York on Tuesday, days before he is due to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The talks, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, come as relations between Beijing and Tokyo show no signs of thawing. Both leaders hailed their good working relationship, with Takaichi saying the two countries looked forward to deepening ties. Trump lavished praise on the Japanese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368439/trump-praises-takaichi-doing-tremendous-job-ahead-xis-visit-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368439/trump-praises-takaichi-doing-tremendous-job-ahead-xis-visit-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:31:34 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Cambodia is set to present the outcome of its crackdown on scams to global governments and security agencies gathering in Phnom Penh this week. Yet questions remain over where the missing billions have gone – as well as the role of the country’s elite, who for many years denied the problem existed at all on Cambodian soil. Scam compounds took over declining mega-casinos during the pandemic. As borders closed, gamblers were replaced with scam workers: many tricked, trafficked and forced to commit... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3368344/cambodia-hosts-anti-scam-summit-scepticism-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3368344/cambodia-hosts-anti-scam-summit-scepticism-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 06:24:52 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth With the clock counting down to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Washington for a state visit, the US and China continue to wrangle over extending the 2025 Busan trade agreement – even as they report progress on implementing a narrow tariff-reduced trade mechanism. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday blamed China for creating “uncertainty” over the pact’s extension, saying Beijing was still holding out on supplying enough strategic mineral exports to the United... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368318/rare-earths-friction-threatens-stall-trade-truce-extension-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368318/rare-earths-friction-threatens-stall-trade-truce-extension-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:59:29 +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 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The top Democrat on the US Senate’s foreign policy panel urged Donald Trump on Monday not to signal any retreat from Taiwan when he hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Speaking at the Concordia Summit in New York, Senator Jeanne Shaheen said she hoped the president “will not say anything that indicates a lack of support for Taiwan” during his talks with the Chinese leader. Shaheen is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which reviews US arms sales abroad,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368309/top-us-senate-democrat-warns-trump-not-waver-taiwan-xi-heads-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368309/top-us-senate-democrat-warns-trump-not-waver-taiwan-xi-heads-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:42:53 +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 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang The United States and China’s agreement to establish an official AI dialogue, including a proposed threat-notification system, marks a pragmatic step towards crisis prevention in their tech war, even as deep-seated divisions over chip access, model distillation and market dominance threaten to limit its impact, analysts said. Announced following high-level talks in New York on Sunday between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Vice-Premier He Lifeng,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3368281/ai-safety-fears-mount-can-us-china-hotline-prevent-global-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3368281/ai-safety-fears-mount-can-us-china-hotline-prevent-global-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese and US negotiators made progress on artificial intelligence (AI) and trade ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House later this week. “We had a very successful engagement with the Chinese on trade and AI,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters following Sunday’s eight-hour-long negotiations at JPMorgan Chase’s head office in New York. The talks had a “good atmosphere” and were “not bad”, said China’s Li Chenggang. Li’s promotion to international trade... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368245/us-china-agree-ai-dialogue-ahead-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368245/us-china-agree-ai-dialogue-ahead-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:01:49 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Chinese leader Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday, Beijing’s foreign ministry has confirmed. “At the invitation of President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official statement on Monday. The trip – Xi’s first state visit to Washington since 2015 – will also mark his second face-to-face meeting this... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368223/chinese-president-xi-jinping-will-pay-state-visit-us-week-beijing-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368223/chinese-president-xi-jinping-will-pay-state-visit-us-week-beijing-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:06:43 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee Neither Beijing nor Washington can win the race for artificial intelligence dominance without relying on other countries, a Bank of America analyst said ahead of this week’s high-stakes bilateral summit, citing deeply entangled global tech supply chains. While China’s advantages had emerged in areas like power grids and manufacturing equipment, the country remained reliant on overseas suppliers for advanced chips, memory and some high-end materials, said Matty Zhao, co-head of China equity at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3368219/neither-us-nor-china-can-win-ai-race-alone-bofa-analyst-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3368219/neither-us-nor-china-can-win-ai-race-alone-bofa-analyst-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:00:13 +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 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The United States and China agreed to establish a dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) and put into operation a bilateral trade body following eight hours of negotiations in New York, just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the outcomes after meeting Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng at JPMorgan’s headquarters. “We had a very successful engagement with the Chinese on trade... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368171/us-china-seek-xi-trump-summit-deliverables-new-york-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368171/us-china-seek-xi-trump-summit-deliverables-new-york-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 14:34:25 +0000 Albee Zhang,Alcott Wei Albee Zhang,Alcott Wei US President Donald Trump has unveiled a new “AI Force” just days ahead of a state visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in a potential escalation of the high-stakes technology race between the rival powers. Experts said the proposed AI Force – whose exact structure remains unclear – could give Beijing a clear counterpart for AI safety talks, but warned it risked becoming an instrument of further technological containment and export controls targeting China. In a social media post on Saturday,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368158/does-trumps-new-ai-force-signal-tech-race-escalation-ahead-xi-jinping-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368158/does-trumps-new-ai-force-signal-tech-race-escalation-ahead-xi-jinping-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan across two days in Washington next week. The itinerary: a White House welcome, a state dinner at which both presidents speak, a private tea and a tour of the United States’ founding documents. At a briefing late on Friday, senior US officials described a state visit built around the two couples as a diplomatic “double date” – with the hard bargaining underneath. The pageantry will... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368082/trump-melania-host-xi-and-peng-white-house-double-date-full-schedule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368082/trump-melania-host-xi-and-peng-white-house-double-date-full-schedule?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 01:01:10 +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 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had turned away friends hoping to attend next week’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, as reports emerged that executives from some of China’s biggest companies could join the visit. “This is a very tough ticket for me,” Trump told reporters. “I’ve told a lot of very good friends of mine, you just can’t come.” The president said the White House had room for “about 125 or so people”, although thousands would like to attend. He lamented... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368077/trump-says-xi-state-dinner-very-tough-ticket-business-guest-list-takes-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368077/trump-says-xi-state-dinner-very-tough-ticket-business-guest-list-takes-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:05:57 +0000 Han Li Han Li US lawmakers critical of China had a busy week on Capitol Hill, stepping up their activity ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to President Donald Trump in Washington next week. China-focused members of Congress and commissions held multiple hearings on issues ranging from human rights to trade and supply chains – an apparent effort to put a range of issues on Trump’s agenda for his talks with Xi. A former senior US official said congressional Republicans had given Trump “a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368069/china-hawks-join-forces-us-congress-pressure-trump-ahead-xis-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368069/china-hawks-join-forces-us-congress-pressure-trump-ahead-xis-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:16:33 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier 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 first part of a series, Mark Magnier looks at expectations in the US for the summit. Chinese planners have been frustrated for months at the slow speed of decision-making and limited engagement by a distracted US administration as the days tick down to next week’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368018/why-china-playing-it-cool-amid-trumps-disruption-and-churn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3368018/why-china-playing-it-cool-amid-trumps-disruption-and-churn?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:00:13 +0000