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US-China relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-China relations, including trade war, talks, and tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Vietnamese workers fold garments inside a factory in Ho Chi Minh City. US tariffs on Vietnam also pose a major threat to Chinese exporters that have shifted production to the country. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

Vietnam helped China’s firms avoid US tariffs. Trump just put an end to that

The US president’s reciprocal tariffs not only impose steep tariffs on China, but also popular transshipping destinations used by Chinese exporters.

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US-China trade war

Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs: everything you need to know

US-China trade war

With Trump’s trade war going global, how will China respond?

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Apple

Trump tariffs sink shares of Apple suppliers in China

China plays a crucial role in Apple’s global supply chain, with most iPhones being assembled there.

Outside an Apple store in Beijing. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

US-China decoupling: Washington bans diplomats from romance and sex with Chinese

Those who do not receive exemption and are found violating the ban will be subject to immediate expulsion from China, according to report.

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US-China trade war

China slams US ‘protectionism’ but stops short of attack on Trump’s tariffs – as it happened

China says trade and tariff wars have no winners, and trade concerns will be resolved through ‘equal dialogue’.

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US-China trade war

Trump’s tariffs ignite worldwide backlash, global recession fears

US action could have dire effects for millions of people, world leaders warn, as US allies across Europe, Asia consider next moves.

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US President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center in Washington on March 17, 2025. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

Explainer | After Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’, what’s China’s effective tariff rate?

With US ‘reciprocal tariffs’, taxes on Chinese goods have climbed even further – with some analysts predicting an effective rate of ‘almost 70 per cent’.

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Hong Kong politics

Could constitutional challenges further delay or even block Hutchison port deal?

No agreement has been signed so far, with Hutchison, BlackRock still negotiating amid Beijing’s antitrust probe and legal turbulence in Panama’s courts.

Apple

Apple shares tumble as Trump imposes tariffs on production hubs

The new levies are likely to squeeze Apple’s margins, given that it is unlikely to hike prices to offset the effects, analysts say.

Apple shares have plummeted after US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs. Photo: dpa
China economy

Opinion | Despite hurdles, China’s ambition for global leadership role is clear

From the ‘two sessions’ to Boao Forum, Beijing is promoting tech independence, green innovation and support for developing nations.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China trade war

China vows to retaliate after ‘bullying’ US imposes 34% reciprocal tariffs

The ‘Liberation Day’ package will correct years of ‘unfair’ trade and other countries ‘ripping off’ the US, said Donald Trump.

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US-China trade war

Trump announces new US tariffs of at least 10% on all imports

US president’s repeated threat of tariffs has spurred waves of counter threats and fears of a global trade war.

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TikTok

Amazon, OnlyFans founder make last-minute bids for TikTok as US deadline looms

Trump officials are expected to discuss ByteDance’s video app on Wednesday, as it faces pressure to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned.

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The TikTok deadline comes amid concerns that the Chinese government could collect sensitive data on US citizens via the app. Photo: TNS
Science

Exclusive | US cyber expert Wang Xiaofeng ‘is safe’ after FBI raids, source says

Unverified statement circulating among Wang’s colleagues says case linked to research grant in China from about seven years ago.

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Wang Xiaofeng was a tenured professor at Indiana University Bloomington. Photo: Handout
US-China trade war

US trade office lays out Trump’s case against China as ‘Liberation Day’ nears

US’ annual report on global trade barriers, with a lengthy China section, presages reciprocal tariffs – and suggests stronger action down the line.

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US-China trade war

Explainer | What is the ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’, and will it really crash China’s economy?

The US’ mooted idea to devalue the dollar has been compared to the Plaza Accord of the 1980s, which some believe caused Japan’s ‘lost decades’.

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US-China trade war

China contends ‘key pillar’ agriculture is off-limits in US trade war

Party mouthpiece warns against mutually destructive trade practices, says US and China are ‘natural partners in agriculture’.

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Farmers harvest soybeans in the US state of Illinois. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China trade war

How China can ‘emerge victorious’ in competition with the US

Chinese international relations expert urges Beijing to partner with other countries as Donald Trump’s policy moves upend global order.

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TikTok

White House to discuss TikTok sale in meeting on Wednesday

The leading plan is for the biggest non-Chinese investors in ByteDance to raise their stakes and acquire TikTok’s US operations, sources say.

Hong Kong politics

How can Beijing antitrust probe affect Panama deal if Hutchison delays signing?

Market regulator empowered to put limits on sale or even halt deal under Anti-Monopoly Law, legal experts explain.

The Chinese (R) and Hong Kong (L) flag. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump’s China policy

Editorial | US playing dangerous game by targeting Hong Kong officials

Latest sanctions over national security law under the guise of human rights can only worsen already fraught Washington-Beijing relations.

Outgoing Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, seen in April 2024, has been slapped with sanctions, along with five others, by the US. Photo: Dickson Lee
China shipbuilding

Explainer | Why Trump is going full steam ahead to keep China’s shipbuilding in dry dock

US policies to curb China’s perceived influence on global shipping and shipbuilding are facing pushback – but Trump seems unlikely to let up.

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US-China trade war

Trump sorts out tariff details hours before ‘Liberation Day’ reveal

White House confirms that the tariffs will be implemented ‘immediately’ to end ‘decades of unfair trade practices’.

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Diplomacy

US YouTube star in China, Beijing ‘hackers for hire’: 7 US-China relations reads

From IShowSpeed’s Great Wall adventures to espionage fears, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in March 2024.

YouTube star Darren Jason Watkins Jnr, aka IShowSpeed, is seen streaming live from the Great Wall of China during his visit to Beijing in March 2025. Photo: Youtube/IShowSpeed
Donald Trump’s China policy

China-US summit hopes fade as Trump 2.0 goes hard on tariffs, Taiwan: analysts

Washington has changed its tune on Beijing, mistakenly believing that China will yield, observer says.

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US President Donald Trump’s aggressive playbook towards China includes slapping tariffs, playing the Taiwan card, and flexing muscle through Indo-Pacific allies. Photo: EPA-EFE
Jimmy Lai

‘Jimmy Lai Way’: US call to honour jailed tycoon by renaming Washington street

Bill put forward by bipartisan group of US House members comes a day after US State Department sanctioned six Hong Kong officials.

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China-Russia relations

China and Russia look to ‘broader and broader’ ties and ‘close coordination’

Vladimir Putin tells China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Moscow that he’s ‘looking forward’ to welcoming Xi Jinping next month.

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