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Li Chenggang

Li Chenggang
The latest news and top stories on Li Chenggang, China’s International Trade Negotiator and Vice Minister of Commerce. Known for his extensive background in trade law and international trade negotiations, he has held various key roles within the Ministry of Commerce since 1989, including Assistant Minister and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization. His responsibilities involve shaping China’s trade relations and addressing disputes, as evidenced by his confirmation of the tariff truce following high-level trade negotiations in Stockholm. A Peking University and University of Hamburg alumnus, his expertise is crucial in navigating complex global trade dynamics.
The Chinese delegation arrives in Paris for trade talks with the United States on Sunday. The first meeting between the world’s two biggest economies proved to be a low-key affair. Photo: EPA
US-China trade war

China and US trade talks off to a low-key start after first meeting in Paris

Discussions expected to focus on trade, investment and rare earths ahead of crucial Xi-Trump summit later this month in Beijing.

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Middle East

Letters | Iran’s people deserve stability, dignity and peace

E-commerce

JD.com renews on-demand delivery fight with US$2.9 billion in grocery subsidies

Artificial intelligence

Sweet surge: Qwen overtakes Yuanbao after Alibaba’s bubble tea campaign

More than 10 million free orders put Alibaba’s AI app in the spotlight amid a high-stakes battle for Spring Festival attention.

More than 10 million free orders were placed within nine hours of the campaign, overwhelming many stores in mainland China. Photo: Handout
E-commerce

China bans e-commerce platforms from forcing lowest prices or abusing algorithms

Beijing moves to protect consumers and merchants, with new 29-article regulation tightening oversight of the fast-growing digital economy.

US-China trade war

Surviving the shocks: what China and the US learned from 2025’s trade war

Businesses and officials faced a year of disruption – and in some cases, resilience – as tariffs and export controls roiled global markets.

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E-commerce

Chinese vendors on Shein, Temu face tax changes at home and abroad

While the EU ends a duty exemption, a reform of China’s tax regime may present the bigger challenge for cross-border sellers.

An internet user shops on the Shein website in Paris on November 5, 2025. Photo: AFP
SCMP Highlights

Chinese students boost US education, Trump tariffs in court: SCMP daily highlights

From Chinese military preparing to cut costs to Brazil urging stronger commitments ahead of Cop30, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

US-China trade war

Chinese trade negotiator urges US to boost agricultural cooperation

Li Chenggang tells visiting US delegation that fluctuations in agricultural trade have roots in America’s imposition of unilateral tariffs.

US-China relations

‘No structure to say yes’: can Chinese investment still find a home in America?

Even as Beijing pushes for an opening, US rules, local backlash and political fear keep China on the sidelines.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US-China relations

Why Xi and Trump chose to talk in Busan, away from South Korea’s Apec events

Chinese foreign ministry confirms leaders to ‘exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest’.

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US President Donald Trump waves as he disembarks from Air Force One at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
US-China relations

‘Hawkish’ interpretations rise as US, China discourse gets lost in translation

In an echo of the Cold War, mistranslations are testing already strained nerves in Washington and Beijing.

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US-China trade war

US-China framework deal only ‘first step’ towards ending trade war: analysts

Talks in Malaysia may have paved the way for a broader trade deal, but the ‘real test’ will be implementing the pledges, analysts say.

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US-China trade war

US-China trade deal in sight ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Talks in Malaysia have paved the way for an accord at a presidential summit this week, with potential agreements in areas including rare earths, soybeans and tariffs.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Photo: Xinhua
US-China trade war

Trump and Xi’s shock tactics see trade war remain in a stalemate

Former government officials and analysts believe this is the price you pay when diplomatic negotiation fails and compromise is ignored.

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Former government officials and analysts say that US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are ignoring diplomatic norms as the trade war intensifies. Photo: AFP
Rare earths

Outside In | Trump may be realising he has less leverage over China than he thought

The past week has provided a rare insight into the fudging and bullying that goes on behind the closed doors of high-stakes trade talks.

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US-China trade war

‘Unnecessary panic’: China rebukes US officials’ comments on rare earths

Beijing defends rare earth export controls against US claims of disruption, calls on Dutch government to cease ‘interference’ with Nexperia.

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US-China trade war

‘Dare to fight’: how China’s art of the deal reflects years of Trump dealings

Beijing fired back at Washington ahead of Trump’s executive order on TikTok last week, and analysts say it stems from hard-learned lessons.

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A call between presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump this month was their second since June, as tensions have persisted between China and the United States. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

For soybeans’ sake, cancel tariffs, China urges US as farmers grow desperate

The US should abandon its ‘unreasonable tariffs’, Ministry of Commerce says as a long-term trade agreement remains elusive after four rounds of negotiations.

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China trade

China to relinquish WTO privileges in show of support for multilateral trade

Premier Li Qiang says Beijing will not seek developing country benefits in future WTO negotiations, drawing implicit contrast with US.

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China-EU relations

Player or playground? Europe sidelined again as US, China cut deals on its soil

While the Europeans were not at the table in Madrid, there is a sense that they were most definitely on the menu.

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China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Madrid on Sunday, ahead of the latest round of trade talks. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China, US reach ‘framework’ on TikTok; Xi and Trump to speak on Friday

Trump says talks in Madrid went ‘VERY WELL’, with a potential deal on TikTok, but Beijing’s antitrust action against Nvidia injects a sour note.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer walk, on the day of US-China talks on trade, economic and national security issues, in Madrid, Spain on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Yuan

China’s yuan rallies with central bank backing as worries mount over US dollar

The People’s Bank of China has nudged the yuan into a stronger position as investor concerns grow over Federal Reserve independence.

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US-China trade war

Chinese provinces prep for business trips to US amid shaky tariff truce

Temporary stability in bilateral relationship prompts renewed exploration of ‘subnational exchanges’ between localities.

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US-China relations

Senior Chinese trade negotiator calls for ‘equal dialogue’ during US visit

Li Chenggang wraps up three-day trip amid tariff war truce as Beijing and Washington prepare for fourth round of trade talks.

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Li Chenggang has taken part in all three rounds of trade negotiations with the United States since April – in Geneva, London and Stockholm. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
United States

Trump implores banks to step up monitoring of China money laundering linked to fentanyl

Treasury advisory highlights how informal Chinese money-laundering operations allow Mexican drug cartels to bypass financial safeguards.

An estimated 48,000 Americans died of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in 2024, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Photo: TNS
US-China trade war

In Washington, China’s top trade negotiator readies for talks

Ministry of Commerce confirms intentions to resolve contentious US-China trade issues via dialogue and consultations.

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US-China relations

Chinese envoy warns against sowing ‘fear and hostility’ as US plans visa revamp

After release of plans to tighten visa rules, Xie Feng says people-to-people exchanges should be encouraged ‘rather than erect barriers’.

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