28 h. ago ‘Making a dent’: race is on to reap rare earths elsewhere amid China’s dominance

Beijing’s imposition of rare earth export restrictions from April – playing its trump card in the face of Washington’s intensifying tariffs and tech curbs – helped send a message to Washington ahead of this week’s discussions over bilateral export-control issues. Considered a trump card because rare earths have an outsized impact on auto, electronics and defence industries, and China dominates the supply chain, the trade in such critical minerals is widely expected to be among the key topics...

Politics

29 h. ago As the PLA adopts civilian technology, Chinese bureaucracy could hinder progress

For decades, China’s talk of letting the private sector bid for defence orders had mostly been just that: talk. State-owned conglomerates had dominated the sector for decades, but in the middle of 2016, Beijing started to step up its military-civilian fusion strategy, publishing an official list of the sectors where private firms were being encouraged to contribute, such as swarming drone technologies. The plan is a central pillar of China’s ambition to develop a modernised military by 2035 and...

Politics

43 h. ago China Challenges US Sea Power With Two Aircraft Carriers in West Pacific

China Challenges US Sea Power With Two Aircraft Carriers in West Pacific  Newsweek

Transport

63 h. ago US and China begin crunch trade talks in London amid simmering tensions

Top economic officials from China and the United States have kick-started a crucial round of trade talks in London, as the world watches closely to see if the two sides can agree to roll back their “chokehold” controls over critical minerals and advanced technologies. The Chinese and American delegations – led by China’s vice-premier, He Lifeng, alongside US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer – met Monday afternoon, local...

Events

65 h. ago Ahead of US trade talks, China’s rare earth trade data from May sends a message

In a reflection of Beijing’s ability to quickly leverage its dominance over the critical-mineral supply chain, the value of rare earth elements exported by China last month plunged by nearly half compared with a year prior. The official data came as analysts have been saying that China’s export controls over large quantities of critical minerals are like the ultimate trump card in trade negotiations with the United States. The world’s second-largest economy exported rare earth elements worth...

Politics

4 d. ago Pay dads to parent? How China could fix birth rate crisis, according to new research

Subsidising men’s participation in household chores and childcare could help reverse declining global birth rates, according to a new study, offering a fresh approach to deepening demographic challenges in countries like China. The study, co-authored by researchers from Fudan University and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), argued that subsidies for fathers produce significantly higher long-term fertility gains than solely subsidising mothers. The findings came as the world’s second-largest...

Events

4 d. ago Why China’s leaders seek a culture that is both modern and distinctly Chinese

Renowned historian Wang Gungwu’s Roads to Chinese Modernity: Civilisation and National Culture traces China’s transformation from an ancient civilisation into a modern nation-state shaped by revolution, reform and global engagement. Drawing on decades of scholarship and his unique perspective as an overseas Chinese intellectual, Wang reflects in this excerpt on Deng Xiaoping’s legacy and the enduring challenge facing China’s leaders today: how to build a modern national culture that embraces...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump says US economic officials to meet China counterparts in London next week

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that his top economic officials will meet with their Chinese counterparts next week to discuss trade, just days after he conducted a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and also reiterated that Beijing agreed to restart exports of critical minerals. “I am pleased to announce that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, will be meeting...

Politics

5 d. ago Beijing’s Export Curbs Reignite Interest in Critical Mineral Stocks

Beijing’s Export Curbs Reignite Interest in Critical Mineral Stocks  Money Morning

Politics

5 d. ago The China Challenge in Critical Minerals: The Case for Asymmetric Resilience

The China Challenge in Critical Minerals: The Case for Asymmetric Resilience  The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine

Politics

5 d. ago Big shipowners take wind out of US sails, continue to order vessels from China

While a US port fee targeting ships linked to China has made some vessel buyers hesitant, major shipping companies – including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s largest – are opting to continue working with Chinese shipyards, saying their competitiveness cannot be easily matched in the short term. Despite the United States’ determination to challenge China’s dominance in global shipbuilding, MSC senior vice-president Marie-Caroline Laurent told the Nor-Shipping Forum in Oslo this...

Politics

8 d. ago Global alarm as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold

Global alarm as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold  Reuters

Events

8 d. ago How is China ramping up controls on critical mineral exports amid row with US?

Parts of China that are rich in critical minerals are stepping up enforcement of tighter export controls as the country doubles down on its dominance of world supplies in the face of increasing pressure from the United States. China, the world’s biggest producer of critical minerals, supplies 92 per cent of the refined rare earth elements that are essential in the production of consumer electronics, electric vehicles and hi-tech defence systems. Its export controls mean companies must obtain...

Politics

8 d. ago Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold

Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold  Reuters

Events

8 d. ago Global Alarms Rise as China's Critical Mineral Export Ban Takes Hold

Global Alarms Rise as China's Critical Mineral Export Ban Takes Hold  U.S. News & World Report

Events

9 d. ago US Warship Challenged Beijing's South China Sea Claims, Navy Says

US Warship Challenged Beijing's South China Sea Claims, Navy Says  Newsweek

Events

9 d. ago Jamie Dimon says he’s not afraid of China, but worries about America’s own challenges

Jamie Dimon says he’s not afraid of China, but worries about America’s own challenges  Fox Business

Politics

9 d. ago How dependent is America’s arsenal on China’s critical mineral supply?

The US defence sector is dependent on critical minerals for its advanced weapon systems, but it has relied on China to meet its demands. As Beijing tightens export restrictions, there is a growing risk to the Pentagon’s military readiness and supply chain security. The big picture China dominates the global supply of rare earths, including more than 90 per cent of the world’s processing and refining. It also has an edge in most other critical minerals, such as refined gallium, of which it...

Politics

1 week ago Legal action over DR Congo lithium project on hold as US challenges China

Perth-based AVZ Minerals has suspended its arbitration case against the Democratic Republic of Congo until later this month, following US encouragement to resolve the dispute over the massive Manono lithium project. The suspension, announced last week, comes as the US backs start-up KoBold Metals – funded by tech billionaires including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos – to acquire AVZ’s stake in Manono. If successful, KoBold will pledge US$1 billion (7.2 billion yuan) to develop the project, countering...

Politics

1 week ago China’s smart cities are streets ahead, but same challenges apply the world over

Each night in the darkest hours, a fleet of drones patrols the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, watching over potentially dodgy areas such as underground station exits and the riverside to deter any would-be criminals. The nightly routine has been operating since last year, according to a report published in April by the city’s police bureau, which detailed its use of artificial intelligence to plan patrol routes. According to the report, the AI puts a laser focus on patrolling Nanjing’s blind...

Politics