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US-China trade war

US-China trade war
Breaking news and analysis on the US-China trade war, its history and timeline, and the impact on the global economy.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks to reporters during a tour of a manufacturing facility on April 9, in Warren, Michigan, the US. Photo: AP
United States

Editorial | US tariff threat over forced labour looks like old wine in a new bottle

With the latest escalation in Trump’s forever tariff war, Washington is alienating allies and adversaries alike.

US-China relations

The new Panama? Why Nicaragua could be next front in US-China influence battle

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US-China relations

Opinion | What does a ‘strong, quiet, clear’ US mean for China and Asia?

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US-China relations

US citizen and journalist charged with acting as Chinese agent

According to court documents, Thomas Weir Pauken II worked at the ‘direction and control’ of Chinese officials for at least seven years.

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An American citizen is facing federal charges after being accused of working as an agent for the Chinese government. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

US farm chief says reliance on China threatens American ‘freedom’

Agriculture secretary’s warning comes as tariffs weigh on China trade and Hormuz disruptions drive up fuel and fertiliser costs.

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China trade

New global financial architecture needed to end trade surplus fixation: Piketty

Economist proposes central bank and currency under the UN to remove fears that ‘world financial markets are going to eat your currency’.

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Mainland China

US treasury secretary says China eyeing more Boeing purchases ahead of Xi visit

Treasury chief says US-China ties are stable but warns reliance on China in critical minerals, chips and medicines is unacceptable.

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An Air China Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner readies for takeoff at Beijing Capital Airport on May 9, 2026. Photo: AFP
United States

‘Utterly absurd’: China and EU push back on US forced labour tariff claims

Trump administration threatens tariffs of up to 12.5 per cent on imports from 60 economies over failure to ban goods made with forced labour.

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China-Latin America relations

‘I will sell to someone else’: Brazil’s Lula hits back at US after China beef win

The president also branded Rubio a ‘frustrated Latino’ and vowed Brazil would ‘not be treated as an insignificant little republic’ by the US.

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Artificial intelligence

Trump signs looser AI order amid China competition concerns

The US government will get 30 days, instead of 90, to review new AI models under voluntary guidelines approved by President Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
China-Latin America relations

China opens door to all Brazilian beef, then slams it with a 55% surtax

Recognition lifts a long-standing sanitary barrier, but an import quota in force since January caps how far Brazilian beef sales can grow.

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A butcher weighs meat at a butcher shop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: AFP
United States

Trump looks to balance ‘lead over China’ and national security with AI order

Voluntary framework to vet powerful new AI systems up to 30 days before their public release, stopping short of mandating review regulations.

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China-Latin America relations

US’ Cuba-China fears, Panama pressure: Latin America relations reads

From Argentina’s shrinking China lifeline to the US’ Cuba worries, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in May 2026.

China society

As I see it | How adversity has guided the path of Chinese civilisation through the ages

Recent findings by archaeologists suggest the push for innovative solutions is often borne out of the struggle to overcome severe challenges.

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Descendants of Chinese railroad workers gather during a ceremony for 12,000 Chinese immigrant labourers who worked on the Central Pacific Railroad between 1865 and 1869 being inducted into the Labor Hall of Honor, at the Department of Labor, in Washington DC, on May 9, 2014. Photo: Xinhua
US-China tech war

The next tech war? Why biotech may become a new US-China battleground

China’s biotech industry is rapidly moving up the value chain, prompting fears in the US and calls for tighter controls.

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Chinese biotech companies have risen up the value chain in recent years, with cross-border licensing deals worth a record US$60 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Medical Products Administration. Photo: Getty Images
China-Latin America relations

China urges Brazil to jointly repel ‘external challenges’ as ties deepen

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira meets Wang Yi and Han Zheng as Brazil seeks key stable fertiliser supply amid US-Iran conflict.

Science

China team drafts sanctions list on 63 key sectors to preserve technology

Scientists have listed sensitive or globally competitive tech that may benefit from export restrictions to keep them out of foreign hands.

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US-China relations

Xi-Trump aftermath, space tactics, AI policy change: 7 US-China relations reads

From Xi-Trump meeting analysis to soybean worries and tech plans, here are highlights from our correspondents in the second half of May 2026.

China[s President Xi Jinping gestures as he meets with US President Donald Trump during a visit to Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing on May 15. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

Brussels agrees on tougher China trade policy, as Beijing vows retaliation

Trade chief details why bloc needs to take stronger steps to defend itself from what is described as a new ‘China shock’ to its industries.

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China trade

China-led SCO bloc looks to fast-track plan for new bank, rival Western lenders

Member states seek more financial autonomy and localised credit by advancing an effort to fund regional growth using their national currencies, not the US dollar.

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Semiconductors

Wingtech says core of Nexperia’s China unit now based on mainland

The statement comes amid escalation in the Nexperia conflict, as Wingtech files a lawsuit in China against chip firm.

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A wafer sample on display during a semiconductor exhibition in Shanghai on March 25. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China, US at ‘historical crossroads’, Beijing’s envoy tells New York gala event

Nixon, Bush and Rockefeller families are among evening’s honorees, along with former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa.

Ambassador Xie Feng addresses the attendees at the China Institute of America centennial gala in New York on Thursday. Photo: Lucy Quaggin
China-Latin America relations

Panama rejects US pressure claims as it seeks to ease China tensions

Panamanian president looks to defuse issues with Beijing as South American country attempts to renew key China maritime agreement.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

‘We want teeth in it’: US farmers wary of Xi-Trump pledge without signed deal

American growers welcome China’s renewed buying commitments, but vague terms and tariff concerns cloud optimism.

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Yuan

For a yuan in deeper markets, Fed ex-head cites dollar playbook, flags risks

Meanwhile, surging costs are ‘likely to hit US inflation data a bit harder and perhaps longer’ than expected, according to the former central bank official.

US dollar and Chinese yuan notes are seen with national flags in the backdrop. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

America at 250: how Trump’s foreign policy is redefining the US story

‘Even if the US comes back, it will not return to the position it once held,’ while China could play a bigger role, analyst Wu Xinbo says.

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Under Donald Trump, the US alliance system has come under “unprecedented strain” and it will never return to what it once was, according to a Chinese international relations expert. Photo: TNS
Semiconductors

Peking University unveils design tool to power Huawei’s chip ambitions

The university’s new chip design software is compatible with Huawei’s LogicFolding architecture introduced on Monday.

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China trade

Exclusive | China’s date with Dutch trade minister on cards for early July: source

The Netherlands’ trade chief and his delegation will come at a pivotal diplomatic moment, as The Hague faces pressure from US tech-export laws.

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