11 h. ago TikTok seals US deal but core algorithm could still rattle ties with China

TikTok may have dodged a US ban but unresolved questions about its algorithm could remain a source of tension in the broader US-China relationship, according to analysts. ByteDance, the parent company of the social media site, signed a binding agreement this week to divest its US entity into a joint venture controlled by a consortium of American investors, ending years of legal and political uncertainties. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in an internal memo on Thursday that the deal effectively...

Technology

13 h. ago China eyes mastery of EUV lithography, bolstering AI chip ambitions, analysts say

China’s reported development of its own extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine to make advanced semiconductors for artificial intelligence and high-performance computer systems could provide a “massive” boost to the country in its tech rivalry with the United States, according to analysts. Scientists at a high-security Shenzhen laboratory earlier this year built “what Washington has spent years trying to prevent”: a prototype EUV lithography machine, according to a Reuters report on...

Politics

13 h. ago China eyes mastery of EUV lithography, bolstering AI chip ambitions: analysts

China eyes mastery of EUV lithography, bolstering AI chip ambitions: analysts  South China Morning Post

Politics

27 h. ago China reportedly sticking to its soybean deal with US, but worries remain

China is estimated to have secured more than half of the 12 million tonnes of soybeans that Washington says Beijing committed to purchase by early 2026, based on US government data and market conventions that analysts say usually indicate China, though little has been shipped so far, heightening concerns over potential cancellations. While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially documented nearly four million tonnes in sales explicitly to China, three million tonnes currently sit...

Politics

34 h. ago As Trump upends US foreign policy, analysts see fresh openings for China

It has been a turbulent year for the fraught US-China relationship. In the fourth part of a series looking back at the events of 2025, we examine the impacts of Trump’s foreign policy on global geopolitics. As the administration of US President Donald Trump ends its first year, expect the unabashed disrupter to continue applying a wrecking ball to long-standing US national security architecture, threatening global stability and jolting long-time allies, with China a major beneficiary, say...

Politics

41 h. ago As trade deficit mounts, is EU offering China what it wants to buy?

Facing an ever-increasing trade deficit with China, Europe has limited options to balance the situation in the short term even though it still holds an edge in key sectors including pharmaceuticals, machinery and components, analysts said. China’s global trade surplus hit an all-time high of US$1.076 trillion in the first 11 months of this year, despite a decline in exports to the United States following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of steep tariffs. A lot of China’s redirected exports...

Politics

63 h. ago China bets big on copper, but ‘weaponisation’ risks low, unlike with rare earths: analysts

China is accelerating efforts to secure its copper supply chain, designating the metal as critical across strategic industries such as electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and defence amid rising geopolitical tensions. Provincial governments are leading the charge. On Monday, Jiangxi – already a hub for heavy rare earth mines – pledged in its 15th five-year plan to develop a world-leading hub for advanced copper-based new materials. That follows a similar move in Shandong, where provincial...

Events

63 h. ago China bets big on copper processing, but ‘weaponisation’ risks are low: analysts

China bets big on copper processing, but ‘weaponisation’ risks are low: analysts  South China Morning Post

Events

2 d. ago China’s new ‘invest in people’ slogan heralds a rethink in economic strategy

Beijing’s fresh imperative to “invest in people” – first raised in a proposal for the 15th five-year plan and reaffirmed at an agenda-setting policy meeting last week – reflects a rethink in economic strategy designed to stimulate domestic demand and improve social welfare, analysts said. China’s leaders vowed to “fully tap” the domestic economy’s potential at the annual central economic work conference held last week, which laid out their economic policy priorities for 2026. A readout from the...

Economics

3 d. ago Is US ‘testing the waters’ with reported seizure of Chinese cargo bound for Iran?

The reported US seizure of a ship allegedly carrying Chinese-made dual-use components to Iran might signal Washington was “testing the waters” on reviving an old tactic to pressure Beijing’s ties with its adversaries, but such moves risked breaching international law, analysts said. An American special operations team boarded a ship from China bound for Iran in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka last month, The Wall Street Journal reported last Friday. Citing sources, it said the operation aimed to...

Transport

4 d. ago Nvidia 'Oversold' As Dust Settles On China Chip Issue, Analysts Say; Is Nvidia A Buy Now?

Nvidia 'Oversold' As Dust Settles On China Chip Issue, Analysts Say; Is Nvidia A Buy Now?  Investor's Business Daily

Politics

4 d. ago Analyst warns China’s Vanke on brink of default as bailout hopes fade

Analyst warns China’s Vanke on brink of default as bailout hopes fade  CNBC

Events

4 d. ago Japan’s retreat from global health funding hands China diplomatic opening

Japan’s sharp reduction in funding for a leading international body fighting infectious diseases risks damaging Tokyo’s credibility and long-held “peace diplomacy”, in a move analysts say could give China an opening to expand its influence across developing nations. The Switzerland-based Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, established in 2002, has saved an estimated 70 million lives in more than 100 countries by boosting testing capacity, surveillance systems, community networks...

Politics

5 d. ago China’s growing young billionaire class masks innovation hurdles, analysts say

While China continues to produce many young self-made billionaires, showcasing its economic dynamism, observers have urged the creation of a more supportive environment, saying that innovation is still being held back. About 98 per cent of the super-rich in mainland China, with assets valued at US$1 billion or more, are relatively young first-generation entrepreneurs, reflecting the vitality and wealth-creation power of its economy, Swiss bank UBS said in a recent report. However, Beijing’s...

Economics

7 d. ago China to keep high fiscal deficit ratio in 2026 to buoy spending plans: analysts

China is expected to set its fiscal deficit ratio at around 4 per cent of gross domestic product in 2026, analysts said, adding the affirmation of a more prominent role for fiscal policy at this week’s central economic work conference indicates a selective approach to increasing government expenditures. In a statement issued after the annual conference ended on Tuesday, officials called for maintaining a “necessary deficit size, total debt and expenditure volume”. The December meeting of...

Politics

8 d. ago Russia has surplus of peas after failing to boost exports to China, analysts say

Russia has surplus of peas after failing to boost exports to China, analysts say  Reuters

Events

8 d. ago Mexico’s tariffs on China aim to placate US – but could backfire: analysts

Mexico’s move to place tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Chinese and other Asian goods underscores US efforts to pressure other countries to take action against China – and Beijing may well retaliate, analysts said. The Mexican Senate on Wednesday approved duties between 5 and 50 per cent on 1,463 product categories – including auto parts, textiles and plastics – starting from January 2026. President Claudia Sheinbaum had proposed the tariffs in the name of protecting local industries, subject to...

Events

8 d. ago China may buy Nvidia’s H200 – but homegrown chip strategy here to stay: analysts

China may buy Nvidia’s H200 – but homegrown chip strategy here to stay: analysts  South China Morning Post

Politics

1 week ago Analysts warn Trump’s Nvidia deal could help China win the AI war

Analysts warn Trump’s Nvidia deal could help China win the AI war  qz.com

Events

1 week ago Trump’s Nvidia move could help China win the AI war, analysts say

Trump’s Nvidia move could help China win the AI war, analysts say  qz.com

Politics